Skyhawks come up aces on Senior Day, await NE-10 quarterfinal opponent

Anna Berthiaume's 10 kills were a game high. (PHOTO BY Richard Orr)

EASTON, Mass. (November 6, 2010) – The Stonehill College volleyball team, ranked ninth in this week’s NCAA Division II East Regional poll, celebrated Senior Day on Saturday with a 3-0 sweep (25-16, 25-20, 25-20) of The College of Saint Rose in a Northeast-10 Conference match at home.

Senior Anna Berthiaume (Somersworth, N.H./Somersworth) led a balanced offensive attack for the Skyhawks with a game-high 10 kills, with eight apiece added by senior Erin Johnson (Centerville, Mass./Barnstable) and junior Laura Huselton (Penfield, N.Y./Penfield), and seven from freshman Sydney Maxey (Hutto, Texas/Hutto). Senior Laura Noonan (Hampstead, N.H./Bishop Guertin) posted six kills and three block assists up front, while senior setter Andrea Wirth (Mesa, Ariz./St. Mary's) dished out 29 assists and senior libero Justine Thompson (Merrimack, N.H./Bishop Guertin) led all players on defense with 17 digs.

The Golden Knights were led by 10 kills from senior Kelly Ryan (Pine Bush, N.Y./Pine Bush) and 10 digs apiece by sophomore Laura Falkowitz (Burnt Hills, N.Y./Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake) and freshman Christina Strezenec (Merrick, N.Y./Calhoun). Junior Chelsea Tyler (Bernardston, Mass./Pioneer Valley Regional) handled setting duties with 21 assists.

The Skyhawks took control of the opening set with Noonan and Johnson leading the early attack, combining for nine kills and two blocks.  They began the second set with a kill and two straight service aces from Maxey, and would go on to rack up six total aces in the set. Stonehill pulled away for good on a seven-point run with Thompson serving, including one ace and two straight kills by Berthiaume, and despite a late five-point run by Saint Rose to rally to within four points, Maxey turned it back with a kill to close out the set at 25-20.

Ryan registered four early kills to give the Golden Knights the lead in the third set, but Berthiaume and Huselton responded with four kills each to power the Stonehill rally on the strength of a 64% sideout rate, and a string of errors by Saint Rose helped the Skyhawks open another 25-20 gap.

Stonehill (15-12, 11-4 NE-10) will advance to Tuesday’s quarterfinal round of the NE-10 Volleyball Championship as the fifth seed.

Below: postgame comments from Anna Berthiaume and head coach Lauren Amundson.