EASTON, Mass. (November 3, 2023) – The Stonehill College women's volleyball team lost a Northeast Conference matchup against FDU in four sets, 3-1 (18-25, 29-27, 20-25, 23-25), Friday night at Merkert Gymnasium.
Stonehill (2-27, 2-9 NEC): 1
FDU (11-15, 9-2 NEC): 3
(18-25, 29-27, 20-25, 23-25)
Skyhawk Summary
Junior Emma Graves had an excellent night on the offensive end as she set a new career-high with 19 kills with a .432 kill percentage and one block assist. Sophomore Mia Berardino tallied nine kills, one assist, one solo block, and one block assist as she scored 10.5 points. Freshmen Georgia Murphy and Abby Farrell put together solid performances as Murphy had seven kills, five digs, two assists, and a service ace while Farrell had a match-high .714 kill percentage with her five kills on seven attempts, also recording two block assists and a solo block. Freshman Amaya Parnell led Stonehill with 23 assists while notching three service aces and nine digs. Senior Skylar Hanley recorded a match-high 15 digs, also notching two service aces and five assists.
How it Happened
SET 1 | FDU scored the first three points of the opening set, eventually jumping out to a 13-6 lead before four straight points from Stonehill brought them back within three points (13-10). That would be the closest the Skyhawks would get to the Knights in the first set as FDU went up by as much as eight points (21-13) before they won the first frame, 25-18.
SET 2 | The two NEC opponents started much closer in the second set as they were tied 8-8 early on, eventually tallying 15 ties in total during the set. Neither team would be up by more than two points until the Skyhawks rattled off three straight scores to go up 23-20 in the late stages of the second. The Knights responded with the next four points to retake the lead, but Stonehill wouldn't let FDU take a 2-0 match lead as a kill from senior Lauren McCloskey retied the score at 24-24. The score would stay tied at 26-26 but three of the next four points went to the Skyhawks as they won a long second set, 29-27.
SET 3 | The third set started just as close as the previous one as the score was knotted up seven different times until the 11-11 mark of the set. Four straight scores went in favor of the Knights, the next three went to the Skyhawks, and then neither team budged as they went back and forth as FDU held a slight advantage, 20-19. The Knights went on a run at the end of the third frame to take a 2-1 match lead, winning the set 25-20.
SET 4 | FDU got out to a hot start at the beginning of the fourth set, building a five-point lead (11-6). Stonehill responded as they catapulted themselves into the lead with seven straight scores. Murphy and Graves traded kills with two for each of them as they went ahead by two (13-11). The Skyhawks continued to roll as they went ahead by five with back-to-back kills from freshman Lauren MacKellar that made it 21-16. Stonehill led 23-19 late, but the Knights rallied for the next six points as they won the match 3-1 with a fourth set victory (25-23).
Up Next
Stonehill volleyball is back in action tomorrow night at 5 p.m. at Merkert Gymnasium for another Northeast Conference matchup against LIU as they celebrate senior night and their four graduating student-athletes.
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