MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College volleyball team extended its program-best start to a season by taking down Merrimack 25-20, 25-16, 25-27, 25-19 in a non-conference match on Thursday evening at Stoutenburgh Gymnasium.

Box Score

Once again, Saint Anselm (7-1) utilized a balanced attack to top Merrimack (1-8) with six players tallying between five and nine kills on the night. Madison Sollows and Sarah Lowery each registered nine kills in the win, while Amanda Bickford added eight.

Sollows did not commit an error on 18 swings to hit an even .500 and also provided six total blocks. Lowery contributed seven digs, four block assists and two aces to her nine kills, as the Hawks totaled 10 blocks as a team and held the Warriors to a .108 attack percentage.

Jewel Hays recorded another double-double with 27 assists and 11 digs and CC Chrisom provided a match-high 15 digs for the Hawks. Amanda Williams and Catherine McCarthy each posted six kills and Katy Teets had five for the Hawks, who hit .241 in the victory.

Merrimack got out to a 14-12 lead in the first set before Saint Anselm went on a 6-0 run to go up by four. Lowery had back-to-back aces to end the run for the Hawks and added consecutive kills late in the set to give the Hawks a 23-19 edge before ending the set with yet another kill.

After an even start to the second set, Saint Anselm used a 6-1 spurt to take a 21-15 advantage. Sollows had a kill and a block with Lowery at the end of the run as the Hawks took a two-sets-to-none lead.

Looking to close it out, the Hawks raced out to a 7-2 lead early in the third but the Warriors battled back to even the score at 9-9. Merrimack took the lead at 11-10 and led 24-21 late in the set. The Hawks saved three set points and evened it at 25-25 but the Warriors won the next two points to send the match to a fourth set.

The visitors got out to an early 10-5 lead in the fourth but Saint Anselm responded with a 5-0 run to tie it at 10-10. With the score locked at 17-17, the Hawks won four consecutive points to take a decisive lead and went on to close out the win on a Sollows kill and an ace by Hays.

Jennifer Cain led Merrimack with a match-high 15 kills and was one of four Warriors in double figures in digs with 12, while Tara Stuhr posted 41 assists and 13 digs.

The Hawks continue their four-match homestand by welcoming Queens (N.Y.) to Stoutenburgh Gymnasium on Saturday, Sept. 17 for a 2 p.m. tilt.