MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Saint Anselm volleyball team hosted the Saint Michael's Purple Knights this evening for the second time this season.  After close to two hours of play, the Hawks defeated the Purple Knights in five games to achieve their first Northeast-10 Conference victory of the season.  With the win, the Hawks improve their home record to 4-1 (1-0 NE-10). 

The Hawks came into this evening's competition looking to defeat the Purple Knights for the second time this season, after defeating them at home 3-2 on September 13^th in a non-conference tri-match.  They jumped out to an early 10-5 lead in the first game, but Saint Michael's came back to tie it at 15, and then pulled ahead to take the first game by a score of 25-19.

The second game in the match was back-and-forth, as the score was once again tied at 15 apiece.  The Hawks then went up 20-15, but the Purple Knights responded and tied it up at 22.  The Hawks then put the game away, winning the final three points in a row, to win 25-22 and tie the match at one game apiece.

The third game quickly got away from the Hawks, as the Purple Knights grabbed at 14-7 lead, and while the Hawks managed to diminish their deficit, they were unable to overcome it, falling 25-21.  In the fourth game, however, the Hawks knew it was do-or-die, and after a tight start to the match, running the score to a 10-10 tie, the Hawks ran away with the score, taking the fourth game 25-19 and sending the match into the tie-breaking fifth game.

In the fifth and final game, the Hawks meant business, as they jumped out to a quick 8-1 lead.  The deficit was too big for the Purple Knights to overcome, and though they battled all the way up to 12 points, the Hawks came out victorious, winning by a score of 15-12, and taking the match 3-2.

The Hawks tied their season-high kills in today's match, recording 49 over the five games.  Sophomore Charlotte Tencza (Greenfield, Mass.) and junior Stephanie Devlin (Beverly, Mass.) led the team with 10 kills each.  Freshman Samantha Elliott (Cumberland, R.I.) recorded a career-high eight kills, and sophomore Stephanie Mauer (South Hadley, Mass.) followed with a season-high seven kills. 

Sophomore Rachel Flaherty (Cold Spring, N.Y.) had a season-high 43 assists in the match.  Flaherty and Devlin led both teams in service aces, recording three apiece.  Saint Michaels' junior Lindsey Frazier (Albany, N.Y.) led both teams with 17 kills in the match, and the Purple Knights combined for 11 blocks as a team.

With the win, the Hawks are now 5-6 (1-2, NE-10) and the Purple Knights fall to 5-8 (1-5, NE-10).  The Hawks return to action on Friday night, October 2^nd, as they host the Adelphi University Panthers in a Northeast-10 Conference match beginning at 7:30 pm.