Volleyball Drops USJ for Second Straight GNAC Victory
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saint Joseph (Conn.) (2-17,2-7) | 25 | 25 | 15 | 14 | 1 |
|
Mitchell (7-14,3-7) | 19 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
NEW LONDON, Conn. – For the second straight match, the Mitchell College women's volleyball team found themselves behind after the first set, and for the second straight match, the Mariners battled back and pulled out a four set victory, Wednesday night it was over the University of Saint Joseph in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) clash at the Yarnall Athletic Center.
After dropping the opening set 25-19 and edging the Blue Jays 27-25 in the second set to tie the score, the Mariners soared past the Blue Jays 25-15 and 25-14, en route to their second straight conference victory.
Freshman Genna Hyde (Cypress, TX) delivered a double-double with 18 kills and 16 digs, while senior Allison Blum (Garden Grove, Cali.) finished with seven kills and a team-high 24 digs. Junior libero Julia Lent racked up 22 defensive digs, giving her 426 for the season, which breaks the record she set last fall for most digs during a single season during the Division III era of the program. Sophomore Kiersten Veenstra (Three Rivers, Mich.) handed out 28 assists and had 12 digs for the Mariners, while junior Ali Ortiz (Groton, Conn.) was credited with 12 digs, marking a collegiate career-high.
Shaye Harris and Rachel Heaney racked up 16 kills apiece for USJ, while Gabi Wanner tallied 35 assists, and Fernanda Ayala Rodriguez produced 34 defensive digs in the loss.
The Mariners (8-14, 4-7 GNAC) will look to stay hot when they host Emmanuel College and Saint Joseph's College (ME) in a home GNAC tri-match on Saturday, November 2. The Blue Jays (2-18, 2-8 GNAC) host Johnson & Wales University and Simmons University in a conference tri-match on Saturday, November 2.
