Volleyball Battles Saint Joseph's in Four Sets

Chris Kendrick (@CKendrick86)

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Elms College volleyball team battled host University of Saint Joseph's in a four-set non-conference matchup (15-25, 16-25, 25-17, 14-25) at the O'Connell Center Tuesday night.

After dropping the first two sets to the Blue Jays, the Blazers staved off defeat with 25-17 victory in the third set, fueled by seven kills from junior middle hitter Christine Searless (Tolland, Mass.). Saint Joseph's closed out the match with a 25-14 win in the fourth set.

Searless led the offensive attack for Elms, registering her first double-double of the season, posting team-highs in kills (12) and digs (15). Freshman defensive specialist Ashlee Connors snagged 11 digs with six kills, while freshman middle hitter Lindsey McNiff added five kills and two blocks. Freshman Kate Moriarty served up a team-high four aces, and freshman setter Jessica Martin dished out a team-high 12 assists with three digs. Sophomore libero Carolyn Campbell (Millers Falls, Mass.) grabbed 11 digs with two kills, and junior libero Caitlyn Larvey (Greenfield, Mass.) tallied 11 digs and two assists.

The Blue Jays were paced by junior Tiffany Mapusaga, who recorded a game-high 18 kills with a game-high 18 digs in the win. Senior Ciara Perez had 10 kills, senior setter Megam Williams notched a game-high 35 assists, and senior defensive specialist Elizabeth Tuazon chipped in 12 digs and two aces.

The Blazers move to 1-10 on the season, while Saint Joseph's sits at 4-2 overall. Elms will return to the court on Thursday evening when they host MCLA at the Maguire Center. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m.

ELMS VOLLEYBALL