SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – The Saint Anselm volleyball team picked up its first Northeast-10 Conference victory Saturday afternoon, knocking off American International College 25-15, 21-25, 25-22, 25-17. The win improves the Hawks to 7-6 overall and 1-2 in NE-10 play.

Sophomore right side Brennah Gladwill (Citrus Heights, Calif.) led the Hawks with a match-high 15 kills. Providing much-needed offensive support was senior middle Melissa Ouellet (Salem, N.H.) and junior outside Lauren Oxley (Bristow, Va.), who added nine and eight kills respectively. Ouelett also added a match-high six blocks.

Needing just six to earn 1,000 career digs, senior libero Melissa Jewett (Newton, Mass.) reached the major career plateau with a match-high 19 Saturday afternoon.

Senior setter Natalie Steinwart (Aurora, Ill.) distributed a match-high 38 assists and added an errorless eight kills for a hit percentage of .727 on the day—a season high for the senior.

The Hawks cruised through the first set before running into a much more efficient Yellowjacket squad in set two. Locked at one set apiece, Saint Anselm used kills from sophomore middle Micaela Donatio (North Andover, Mass.), Gladwill and Steinwart to take a 23-22 lead in the third. An attack error and a ball-handling error—one of AIC's 11 on the day—put the Hawks back in front 2-1.

The fourth set was total Saint Anselm domination as the Hawks hit .448 (15-2-29) in the final frame alone, surging to their first league win.

Saint Anselm will continue its road trip Tuesday, traveling to Merrimack for a 7 p.m. machup. The Warriors have already defeated the Hawks this season, a 3-2 thriller in Stoutenburgh Gym last weekend.

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