MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College volleyball team picked up its first win at crosstown rival Southern New Hampshire University since Nov. 5, 2002 by taking down the Penmen 26-24, 25-9, 18-25, 25-15 on Tuesday evening at SNHU Fieldhouse.

Box Score

Entering the match, Saint Anselm (6-1) had lost 11 matches in a row at Southern New Hampshire (1-9) but the Hawks erased that with a four-set win to establish their best-ever start to a season through seven matches. The Penmen had won 16 of the previous 17 meetings in the series.

Saint Anselm had five players with between seven and nine kills in a balanced offensive display. Amanda Williams led the Hawks with nine kills, Brennah Gladwill and Sarah Lowery each had eight and Madison Sollows and Katy Teets each notched seven.

Sollows added seven total blocks, three of the solo variety, to her seven kills, while Lowery contributed nine digs defensively and four aces. CC Chrisom recorded a team-high 15 digs and Jewel Hays posted a double-double of 38 assists and 11 digs.

In the first set, neither team led by more than two until Southern New Hampshire took a 17-14 lead. The Penmen stretched their lead to 21-17 after back-to-back kills by Jaclyn Maguire. After the hosts led 23-20, Saint Anselm rallied to take the set by winning six of the final seven points. A Gladwill kill broke a 24-24 deadlock and the Hawks closed out the set on a block by Williams.

Saint Anselm continued their momentum into the early stages of the second set, opening up an 8-1 lead to cause a Southern New Hampshire timeout. The closest the Penmen got the rest of the set was five at 10-5. The Hawks hit an even .500 with no errors on their way to taking the set 25-9, while holding the Penmen to -.107.

Looking to rally, Southern New Hampshire started the third set by taking a 9-2 lead. The Hawks came back with an 8-2 run of their own to get within a point following a pair of Penmen errors. Southern New Hampshire used a 4-0 run to take a 17-12 lead midway through the set and led by at least five the rest of the way. The Penmen hit .244 in the third after hitting just .044 in the first two sets combined.

A 4-0 run behind the serve of Sollows gave Saint Anselm an 8-4 lead early in the fourth set. The Penmen stayed within three at 11-8 only for the Hawks to eventually build a 17-9 advantage after consecutive kills by Amanda Bickford and Williams. Lowery tallied four kills late in the set to help the Hawks close the match out 25-15 in the fourth.

Saint Anselm hit .254 in the match and held Southern New Hampshire to a .111 clip thanks to 13 blocks. Victoria Wehrmann led the Penmen with a match-high 12 kills, while Megan Salamun and Marisa Coronis each had 11. Joanne Coffey had 35 assists and matched Chrisom with 15 digs.

The Hawks return home to Stoutenburgh Gymnasium to face Merrimack on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.