EASTON, Mass. (October 7, 2023) – The Stonehill College women's volleyball team went the distance with Northeast Conference opponent Merrimack College at Merkert Gymnasium Saturday afternoon, losing the match in five sets, 3-2 (18-25, 25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 6-15).

Stonehill (2-18, 2-3 NEC): 2

Manhattan (4-12, 3-2 NEC): 3

(18-25, 25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 6-15)

Skyhawk Summary

Junior Emma Graves (Berkshire, N.Y./Newark Valley) had a 26.7% kill percentage and led the team with 13 kills while being tied for the team lead in block assists with six. Senior Lauren McCloskey (Salem, N.H./Salem) was the other Skyhawk with six block assists, also notching six kills and two digs. Sophomore Mia Berardino (Rowley, Mass./Triton Regional) tallied 10 kills, five digs, and one block assist. Freshman Georgia Murphy (Plano, Texas/John Paul II) had seven kills, one service ace, and one block assist for Stonehill. Senior Kristen DeLorenzo (Fayetteville, N.Y./Christian Brothers Academy) led Stonehill with nine digs and had four assists. Freshman Amaya Parnell (Pepperell, Mass./Lincoln Sudbury) tallied a team-high 18 assists while recording four digs and two kills. Sophomore Delaney Mihelich (Fullerton, Calif./Rosary Academy) posted 15 assists, a team-high three service aces, and seven digs.

How it Happened

SET 1 | Merrimack scored six of the first seven points in the match to jump out to an early five-score lead, eventually going up by eight points early on (14-6). Stonehill cut their deficit in half late in the opening frame (21-17) after an 11-7 scoring spree by the Skyhawks. The Warriors finished the first set with a run of their own, outscoring Stonehill 4-1 and winning the first set 25-18.

SET 2 | Both teams went back and forth to start the second set as the teams found themselves tied, 8-8, amidst a 6-0 run from Merrimack that gave them a 12-8 lead. The Warriors carried their momentum and went ahead 16-9 before the Skyhawks propelled themselves back into the match with an 11-3 run that gave them a late lead in the set, 20-19. Kills from Berardino and MacKellar in the late stages of the third set had the Skyhawks rolling as they won the set 25-23, tying the match 1-1.

SET 3 | Merrimack had an 8-4 lead to begin the third set and held onto their four-point advantage at 12-8. Once again, a big run from the Skyhawks put them ahead 20-19 late in the set. Stonehill garnered kills from Berardino and Murphy in the final stages of the set to win the third, 25-23, taking a 2-1 match lead.

SET 4 | The fourth set had eleven ties as the teams battled with neither team going ahead by more than three points at any point. The Skyhawks' largest lead in the set was when they were ahead 15-12 but the Warriors regained the lead with a 5-1 run (17-16). Stonehill scored the next three points but were outdueled when Merrimack scored four straight to take a 22-19 lead. The Skyhawks tied it up, 22-22, but the Warriors won the fourth frame after scoring the final three points, winning the set 25-22, tying the match at 2-2.

SET 5 | Stonehill went ahead 2-0 in the deciding set before Merrimack retaliated with five straight points (5-2). The Warriors continued to roll in the fifth set, growing their lead to nine points, and eventually winning the set by that same margin, 15-6, as they won the match 3-2.

Up Next

Stonehill Volleyball returns to action with a non-conference matchup against former NE10 opponent, Southern New Hampshire University, at 7 p.m. Wednesday night at Merkert Gymnasium.

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