MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College women's volleyball team rallied to a 3-1 victory, earning their first conference win over the Purple Knights of Saint Michael's College.
UP NEXT:

• Saint Anselm travel to NE10 opponent Pace University on Friday October 25^th with a 6:00PM tip off.

Score: Saint Anselm 3, Saint Michael's 1
Records: Saint Anselm (7-11, 1-3 NE10); Saint Michael's (6-13, 2-3 NE10)
Location: Manchester, N.H. (Stoutenburgh Gymnasium)
Date: Tuesday, October 22^nd, 2024
Attendance: 102
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The first set of the evening would begin in an even draw between the two teams knotting the way through the 10^th point for each side. Back-to-back kills from Taylor Lacerda (Franklin, Mass.) and Melis Kocak (East Greenwich, R.I.) would push the Hawks ahead 17-13. The Purple Knights would rally in response behind kills from Nora Schulze and Dana Welch, tying the game at 18-a-piece. Saint Michael's would continue their run taking a 23-20 lead before a kill from Hollyn Frano (Cave Creek, Ariz.) would pause their momentum. Welch and Schulze would end the set in favor of the visitors 25-21.
• Saint Anselm made a statement in the second set of action, exploding to a 6-1 lead behind kills from Kocak and Miia Dembski (Buffalo, N.Y.) and a pair of service aces from Frano. The Purple Knights would be unable to respond as momentum would carry the Hawks to a 12-4 lead as Kocak, Frano and Sam Pila (Melbourne, Australia) would get their offensive swing going. Saint Michael's found their final point off of a service error from Frano bringing the score to 10-19. A 7-0 Saint Anselm run would end the set as Lacerda played a large role in the action tallying two more kills before winning the set 25-10.
• The third set would begin on an even tone staying even at 4-a-piece. The Hawks would go on a run to bring their lead back into play, 13-7, as Lacerda and Frano would tally kills, and Pila would notch a service ace. A timeout from the visitors would attempt to stop the bleeding but Saint Anselm continued to explode bringing the score to 22-12 as Pila, Lacerda and Kocak swung strong for the Hawks. The final earned point for the Purple Knights came from a Jillian Orth kill, but defiant serving from Jada Burdier (Haverhill, Mass.) would bring the Hawks to a 25-14 victory.
• The Hawks continued to send a message into the fourth and final set of the evening taking an early 10-6 lead highlighted by a Lacerda service ace. Throughout the set the offense would be firing on all cylinders for the Saint Anselm team as Kocak, Frano, and Lacerda tallied eight kills all together. After taking a 24-13 lead, Lacerda frosted the cake, tallying another service ace painting the back of the Purple Knights court.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

• Frano led the offensive attack for the Hawks finishing with 19 kills, eight digs and six service aces. Lacerda followed behind with 12 kills, five digs and two service aces.
• Abigail Macalaguim (Chula Vista, Calif.) filled the stats for the team tabbing 39 assists, 12 digs, a kills. Kocak also filled the sheet for the Hawks with 10 kills, and five blocks.
• Defensively, Madeline Burke (Lake George, N.Y.) led the way tallying 14  total digs, seven assists and one service ace.
• As a team, Saint Anselm finished the match with 51 kills, 60 digs, and 13 service aces.

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