MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College women's volleyball team came away with a 3-0 victory over Franklin Pierce University on Thursday at Stoutenburgh Gymnasium.

Saint Anselm moves to 1-0 on the season while Franklin Pierce drops to 1-4 overall. Thursday's contest was the first of two countable fixtures for the Hawks this season; Saint Anselm will conclude the spring semester with a match against Stonehill College on Sunday, Apr. 25 at 1 p.m.

The Hawks played their first game since the 2019 campaign that saw Saint Anselm earn its third-straight appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Hawks also claimed the program's first win in the NCAA postseason in 2019, defeating New Haven in five sets.

In her first collegiate match, freshman Audrey Simmons (North Hampton, N.H.) led the team with 10 kills with senior Jordan Schamp (Plymouth, Mich.) registering nine kills. Sophomore Michelle Henwood (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) totaled 22 assists in the winning effort while also recording six service aces. Simmons and sophomore Caroline Belmontez (San Diego, Calif.) also posted seven digs each in the victory.

Trailing 6-2 in the first set, the Hawks opened with a short burst, earning six straight points to take an 8-6 lead, including two senior Elise Jolly (Merrimack, N.H.) service aces in that span. The Ravens tied the set at 9-9 with an Ingrid Lindstom kill. Saint Anselm controlled the entire rest of the set, recording a 14-5 stretch of dominance to distance the Hawks away from the visitors with a 23-14 lead. Schamp would close out the set with a kill, securing the 25-18 win.

Saint Anselm came out the second set on fire, claiming the first seven of eight points. Later in the set, the Hawks held a 21-14 advantage prior to a Simmons kill. The Ravens cut the deficit to a four-point margin with a 6-3 run but the Hawks clinched the 25th point of the set off a kill by sophomore Kristen O'Keefe (Medford, Mass.).

In the third set, the Hawks held an early 10-3 lead following two Jolly service aces and an attack error by the Ravens. The Ravens narrowed the third-set deficit to 19-15 with a short spurt in the middle of the set. Each team recorded back-to-back points in the second half of the set until Schamp and Henwood helped the team earn a 23-19 advantage. The visitors scored the next three points, narrowing the margin to a one-point deficit before Jolly and Simmons secured the Hawks sweep with one kill each.

Five Hawks student-athletes appeared in their first collegiate match on Thursday.