Late Rally by Women's Volleyball Was Not Enough to Beat Simmons

BOSTON, Mass. - The Elms College Women's Volleyball team traveled to Simmons University in a conference match Wednesday evening.

BASICS
Score: Elms College 0 (9, 10, 26) | Simmons University 3 (25, 25, 28)
Records: Blazers 1-14, 1-4 (GNAC) | Sharks 5-8, 3-0 (GNAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED

The opening set would see Simmons with the offensive advantage early, scoring four-straight points. The Sharks would continue to add to their lead until senior Francesca Dirienzo (West Springfield, Mass.) would make two kills for Elms to cut the lead down. Simmons quickly responded by adding to their lead further, until the Blazers would see kills from sophomore Quiana Gibbs (Porterville, Cali.) and junior Angelica Marks (Miami, Fla.), but the Sharks would take the first set 25-13. 

The second set would again begin with an early Simmons lead, with the Sharks scoring 11-straight points. Simmons would return to adding to their lead, scoring an additional six points, until sophomore Lillianna Simmons (Springfield, Mass.) recorded her first kill of the match for Elms. The Blazers would then go on their own offensive frenzy after Gibbs recorded a service ace and a kill, Dirienzo added a kill, and first-year Maria Codianni (Waterbury, Conn.) served an ace, but the Sharks would take the second set 25-10.

The third and final set would see Elms earn their first lead of the evening after two kills by junior Alejandra Marin (Dorado, P.R.), but Simmons would shortly gain the lead. The Blazers would then tie the match after a shared block by Dirienzo and junior Jaylen Holman (Las Cruces, N.M.), then regain the lead after two kills by the pair shortly thereafter. Codianni would make a second service ace, Simmons making another kill, and two kills by Marin helping Elms extend their lead, but the Sharks would not stop fighting back. The two sides would fight for the remainder of the set extending play to extra points, which saw two kills by Alysha Izquierdo (Holyoke, Mass.) and a kill by Marin, but Simmons would win the final set and the match 28-26.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Holman generated 12 assists, seven digs, a kill, and a block.

• Marin led the Blazers with five kills, with nine digs, and two assists.

• Dirienzo made four kills, a dig, and a block.

• Codianni served two aces and added five digs and an assist to her statistics for her first collegiate season.

• Gibbs, Izquierdo, and Simmons each recorded two kills, and Simmons would make 10 digs, Gibbs with a serivce ace and four digs, and Izquierdo adding a service ace and two digs.

UP NEXT: The Elms Women's Volleyball team will travel to New Haven, Conn. to compete in a tri-matched hosted by Albertus Magnus College, in a conference matchup at 11 AM, and against SUNY Old Westbury, in a non-conference matchup at 1 PM, on Saturday, October 5th.

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