PROVIDENCE, R.I. (September 13, 2024) - The Stonehill College volleyball dropped its opening match of the Friar Invitational at Alumni Hall on the campus of Providence College, falling to Columbia, 3-1.
 
Columbia 3, Stonehill 1 (26-28, 25-22, 21-25, 14-25)
 
Highlights

• Senior Leah Michalowski (Holden, Mass.) had six kills, tying a career-high mark as she led the Skyhawks with 8.5 points, recording three block assists and a team-high .308 hit percentage. Michalowski has had 3+ block assists in four straight games.
• Hailee Watts had a match-high 18 kills in the four-set win for Columbia, scoring 19.5 points for the Lions.
• Three other Skyhawks had six kills including senior Emma Graves (Vestal, N.Y.) who had her fifth match with six or more kills this season.
• Sophomore Amaya Parnell (Pepperell, Mass.) had a team-high 17 assists, three digs, a kill, and an ace.
• Sophomore Maddie Schamaun (Rockville, Md.) tallied 12 assists to go with seven digs.

SET 1 | Stonehill took an early 6-3 lead in the first set until four straight points from the Lions gave Columbia a one-point lead. The set would go back and forth the rest of the way with neither team recording more than two points in a row until the Lions put three straight scores late in the set to make it 24-22. The Skyhawks would tie the set, 24-24, and even take a 26-25 lead, but another three points from the Lions won them the set, 28-26.
 
SET 2 | A hot start from Stonehill catapulted the Skyhawks to a 10-4 lead, and the six-point lead would hold strong into the latter half of the match thanks to kills from four different Skyhawks including three kills from senior Lindsey Peirson (Bedford, N.H.). Stonehill would win the set, 25-22, tying the match, 1-1.
 
SET 3 | Columbia began the third set ahead, 10-4, but a late rally from the Skyhawks thanks to kills from Michalowski, freshmen Gabi Polishuk (Woodland Hills, Calif.), and Paloma Gonzalez Jaramillo (Wylie, Texas) as Stonehill tied it 19-19. The Lions ended the set how they started it, rattling off a string of kills to win, 25-21.
 
SET 4 | The Skyhawks had an early 7-6 lead but Columbia used a 6-0 run to jump out to a five-score lead, 12-7. Another big run from the Lions made the score 21-9 as their lead proved insurmountable, downing the Skyhawks, 25-14, to win the match, 3-1.
 
Up Next
Stonehill Volleyball will play another two matches tomorrow at Alumni Hall in Providence, R.I., taking on Saint Peter's at 9 a.m. before taking on Providence College at 11 a.m. to conclude the Friar Invitational.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.