WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Colby-Sawyer College women's volleyball team collected a thrilling Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) victory on Saturday afternoon, putting together a 71-kill offensive attack to edge the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) in five sets (25-13, 24-26, 24-26, 25-16, 15-5) at the James A. Calhoun Gymnasium.
Rapid Recap:
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Colby-Sawyer controlled the opening set from start to finish, hitting .368 with 11 kills while senior Alexis Mandrino (Dunbarton, N.H.) served out the final four points of the frame to capture a 25-13 victory.
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The Blue Jays answered by taking sets two and three in tight deuce frames. Despite Colby-Sawyer tallying 19 kills in each stanza, Saint Joseph capitalized on late service runs to claim identical 26-24 decisions and take a 2-1 match lead.
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Facing defeat, the Chargers dominated the fourth set to keep the match alive. Colby-Sawyer pounded out 15 kills on .333 hitting, using a 7-1 surge sparked by first-year Kaity Kelly (Newfields, N.H.) and sophomore Maggie Wilder (North Yarmouth, Maine) to roll to a 25-16 win and force a deciding fifth set.
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The Chargers left no doubt in the fifth frame, charging out to a 10-3 lead behind kills from first-year Liv Chandonnait (Belmont, N.H.) and sophomore Addison Sasnett (Virginia Beach, VA.), along with a four-point service run by junior Kamryn Brakemeier (Keller, Texas). Colby-Sawyer limited USJ to -.271 hitting in the finale, closing out the match 15-5 on an opponent attacking error.
Inside the Numbers:
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Sasnett led all players with a career-high 23 kills on 46 attempts (.370 hitting percentage) to anchor the front row.
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Brakemeier and Chandonnait provided balanced secondary scoring with 15 kills apiece. Brakemeier also recorded three aces, three blocks, and a .268 hitting clip.
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Senior setter Bree Bacon orchestrated the offense with a career-high 55 assists, adding 11 digs, five kills, and a service ace for a double-double.
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Junior Madison Sinatro anchored the defense with a match-best 24 digs to go along with four assists and two aces.
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First-year Lucy Denu collected 17 digs, three service aces, and three assists.
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Sophomores Claire Rocky (nine kills, two blocks) and Sailor Plourde (three blocks) added key net presence.
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Colby-Sawyer held decisive advantages across the board, leading the Blue Jays in points (88.0 to 55.0), kills (71 to 45), service aces (12 to 5), assists (61 to 40), and digs (80 to 65).
Up Next:
The Chargers (7-11, 3-3 GNAC) return home to the Dan and Kathleen Hogan Sports Center on Tuesday, October 13, hosting Norwich University in conference action with first serve scheduled for 7:00 PM.
