Wilke posted a double-double with 35 assists and 18 digs (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (November 13, 2021) - Stonehill College, ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division II East Regional rankings for the second-straight week, saw its claim to a second Northeast-10 Conference regular season championship fall just short after a tough 3-1 (25-23, 25-17, 26-28, 25-20) decision to Southern Connecticut State University, ranked No. 8 in the region, in the NE10 volleyball regular season finale for both at Pelz Gymnasium this afternoon.

The Details

• Despite the setback, Stonehill finishes its regular season with 20 wins, its most since the 2014 campaign (21) while its ten NE10 victories are also the most since going 11-3 in 2014.
• With the loss, Stonehill (20-8, 10-3 NE10) finishes in a tie for second in the NE10 standings, but the Skyhawks will be seeded No. 3 in next week's NE10 Tournament and will host a quarterfinal round match against No. 6 Saint Anselm College at Merkert Gymnasium on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Southern Connecticut State (23-9, 9-4 NE10) will be seeded No. 5 in the Tournament and visits No. 4-seed Bentley University for a quarterfinal round match on Tuesday night. The NE10 Tournament will continue next week with the semifinal and championship matches hosted by the highest remaining seed after Tuesday's quarters on Friday and Saturday, November 19 and 20.

• Peragine totaled 18 kills, three blocks and four digs for the Skyhawks (PHOTO BY Andrew Katsampes)

  Stonehill could have claimed at least a share of its second NE10 regular season title in program history with a win or losses by American International College and the University of New Haven, but the Skyhawks and Chargers both finished a game behind the Yellow Jackets who claimed their first NE10 regular season title with a 3-0 win over Southern New Hampshire University tonight.
• Junior Basia Peragine led Stonehill with 18 kills, three blocks and four digs, while senior Abby Remick finished with a double-double effort of 15 kills and 12 digs.
• Senior Lauren Wilke also notched a double-double with 35 assists and 18 digs, while classmate Carly Russell added 27 digs and two service aces and Clare Feeman added six blocks and two aces.
• The first set went back-and-forth with the two teams staying within two points of each other and trading off leads throughout the entirety of the set. Stonehill got out to what was a 20-17 lead thanks to three-straight kills from Peragine, sophomore Jentry Allen and Remick, but Southern battled right back to tie at 21-all before a 4-0 run ended the set as postgrad Gabriela Vazquez finished with back-to-back kills to seal the win for the Owls.
• The two teams were neck-and-neck for the majority of the second set as well until a 6-0 run turned what was a 14-all tie into a 20-14 lead in favor of the Owls, the deciding factor in the set that gave the Owls a 2-0 lead
• Stonehill fought to force a fourth set in extra points in the third. Southern led 23-20 looking to capture the match victory, but the Skyhawks reeled off four-straight points on the back of Peragine who slammed one down and added a block during the run. Feeman stepped up with an ace as the Skyhawks regained the advantage. After trading points, senior Shannon Burgess netted a kill to make it 27-26 and Russell provided set point with an ace.
• Southern sealed the win in the fourth, however, using another late run to clinch the math win.

Up Next

Stonehill (20-8, 10-3 NE10) will host No. 6-seeded Saint Anselm College for an NE10 Quarterfinal at Merkert Gym on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Southern Connecticut State (23-9, 9-4 NE10) hits the road to face No. 4-seeded Bentley University for a quarterfinal on Tuesday. 

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