Junior setter Andrea Wirth posted 54 assists, 16 digs and two service aces tonight.

American International Storms Past Stonehill, 3-2

Yellow Jackets capture fourth and fifth sets to rally to third-straight win

Boxscore 

EASTON, Mass. (October 1, 2009) - American International College rallied to win the final two sets and come away with a 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 25-20, 11-15) victory over Stonehill College in Northeast-10 Conference volleyball action at Merkert Gymnasium tonight.

Sophomore Ellisha Terry (Fort Worth, Texas/Everman Joe C. Bean) and freshman Taila de Souza (Cunupia, Trinidad & Tobago) combined for 45 kills to lead American International to its third-straight victory. Terry posted a match-high 25 kills, with just seven hitting errors on 59 total attacks for a .305 hitting percentage, and added 25 digs and two block assists. De Souza compiled 20 kills, 16 digs and a service ace.

Sophomore Kervelle Redhead (St. James, Trinidad & Tobago) racked up a match-high 61 assists, 12 digs and three service aces for the Yellow Jackets, while junior Kambryn Williams (Pomona, Calif./Diamond Ranch) finished with a match-high 28 digs. Junior Alicia Smith (Bridgetown, Barbados) chipped in with 13 kills and just one error on 25 total attacks for a .480 hitting percentage, while adding eight blocks (two solo). 

Junior Laura Noonan totaled 16 kills and three blocks tonight.

Junior Andrea Wirth (Mesa, Ariz./St. Mary's) led Stonehill with 54 assists, 16 digs and two service aces. Junior Laura Noonan (Hampstead, N.H./Bishop Guertin) led the attack with 16 kills and three blocks (two solo), while sophomore Laura Huselton (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield) added 14 kills and 18 digs. Junior Erin Johnson (Centerville, Mass./Barnstable) chipped in 13 kills, while classmate Justine Thompson (Merrimack, N.H./Bishop Guertin) and sophomore Michelle Thornhill (Canyon Lake, Calif./Temescal Canyon) added 23 and 20 digs, respectively.

Stonehill appeared to take control of the match after it rallied from an 11-3 deficit to take set three, 25-23. Junior Anna Berthiaume (Somersworth, N.H./Somersworth) sparked the rally with a pair of kills as the Skyhawks reeled off seven-straight points, six with Wirth on serve, to close within 10-11.AIC regained a five-point cushion twice, before the Skyhawks rallied again to knot the score at 19-19 after an AIC hitting error. Another Berthiaume kill put Stonehill in front and Johnson closed the set out with two-straight kills.

AIC took control midway through the fourth set as a Yellow Jackets block put them up six (16-10). Stonehill drew within two (21-19) after an AIC hitting error, but the Yellow Jackets forced the fifth and deciding set with a block and two kills by Terry.

The Yellow Jackets opened a 4-1 lead with Terry on serve in the fifth and never looked back. Stonehill drew within two points twice, but could get no closer. After a Johnson kill made it 10-12, de Souza and junior Keziah Kashouh (West Warwick, R.I./West Warwick) closed out the match with kills.

Stonehill (8-5, 3-1 NE-10) is off until next Wednesday, October 7, when it hosts the University of Massachusetts Lowell at 7 p.m. That match will be available on a pay-per-view basis ($4.95) via www.stonehillskyhawks.tv. American International (10-5, 3-4 NE-10) is right back at it tomorrow night when it visits the University of Bridgeport at 6 p.m.