NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Revenge was not-so-sweet for the Saint Anselm volleyball team Tuesday night, falling for the second time this season to Merrimack. While the Warriors took first outing in a five-set-thriller, this matchup was a bit more decisive as the Hawks fell 25-19, 25-22, 25-21 at Hammel Court.

Despite a 8-7 advantage for Saint Anselm in blocks, Merrimack (8-2, 2-0 NE-10) recorded 15 more kills, 10 more digs and hit nearly 100 percentage points more efficiently as the Hawks struggled to get any fluidity offensively.

Freshman outside Kathryn Teets (Dix Hills, N.Y.) led Saint Anselm with nine kills on the night and senior middle Melissa Ouellet (North Andover, Mass.) added eight. Junior utility Lauren Oxley (Bristow, Va.) added five kills, but no other Hawk recorded more than two.

Defensively, sophomore middle Micaela Donatio (North Andover, Mass.) recorded a match-high seven blocks, while senior libero Melissa Jewett (Newton Mass.) tallied 12 digs.

Merrimack was in complete control for essentially the entire match, surging on a six-point run early in the first set. Saint Anselm (7-7, 1-3) would turn a 20-13 deficit to 21-18, but the Warriors used two straight service aces to close out the set.

The Warriors raced out to an early lead in set two and kept a three-point cushion for much of the duration.

Saint Anselm seemed to awaken a bit early in the third stanza, as five kills between Oxley and Ouellet gave it an 11-7 lead. However, Merrimack used three- and two-point service runs to make up that deficit, eventually pushing through the finish line.

Saint Anselm will enjoy the rest of the week off from competition, playing its next game Tuesday, Oct. 7 against league-leading Stonehill in Stoutenburgh Gymnasium.

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