MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College women's volleyball team secured a huge victory in Northeast-10 Conference play on Friday, handing American International College a four-set loss in Stoutenburgh Gymnasium.
Saint Anselm (18-6, 7-1 NE10) won the first, third and fourth sets to snap an 18-match winning streak for American International (21-2, 7-1 NE10), a program that was receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches' Association National Poll to enter the week.
Winners of six matches in a row and nine of their last 10, the Hawks now see themselves atop the NE10 standings with a 7-1 record in league play. American International is the reigning NE10 postseason champions and a program that finished the 2021-22 campaign as an NCAA Division II East Region finalist.
Senior Lauren Casey (Jefferson City, Mo.) hammered home a team-best 15 kills in the match, contributing with 13 of her team's 69 total digs. Sophomore Gabby Belcher (Buckeye, Ariz.) produced 12 kills on 39 swings with senior Michelle Henwood (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) handing out 30 assists and 15 digs for her fourth consecutive double-double.
Defensively, senior Caroline Belmontez (San Diego, Calif.) scooped up 20 digs to help the Hawks improve to 40-6 in Stoutenburgh Gymnasium across the previous five seasons of competition. In the last three years alone, the Hawks have lost only twice in 25 matches. Belmontez also moved into fifth all-time in digs with 1,253, surpassing Melissa Jewett '15.
Saint Anselm opened up a 6-1 lead in the first and never looked back, eventually growing the lead to 14-5 following three Hawks kills and a service ace. The Yellow Jackets responded with a strong stretch of play, trimming the once-sizeable lead to just two points before the hosts put home five of the next six kills to take a 25-19 victory.
After four consecutive points for Saint Anselm in the second stanza, American International flipped a 13-11 deficit into a 16-13 advantage with five consecutive points. The Yellow Jackets closed out the match without letting Saint Anselm come closer than two points of a comeback.
Ahead by a slim 6-5 margin, the Hawks were able to once again create distance between themselves and American International by scoring 10 of the next 14 points in the match. In fact, five of the final six points of the set went Saint Anselm's way, thanks to two service aces from junior Alina Barbarena (Los Angeles, Calif.) in crunch time.
The Yellow Jackets were forced to call an early time out in the fourth set, staring at an 8-3 deficit. Once again, American International was unable to stop Saint Anselm from going on major streaks, this time allowing five consecutive points to fall behind 16-9. AIC mounted a brief comeback, responding to a 21-12 Hawks lead with seven of the final 11 points, but it was too late.
Andrea Serra Rosa, the reigning NE10 Tournament Most Valuable Player, NE10 Player of the Year and a First Team All-NE10 selection, was limited to a .146 attacking percentage despite leading her team with 15 kills and 11 digs. Paola Soto Burgos had 14 kills and combined to post four blocks in the match.
Saint Anselm returns to the court on Saturday, Oct. 22 for a 1 p.m. match against Adelphi University.
