NEWARK, Del. – The Saint Anselm College women's volleyball moved to 5-3 on the season, defeating Wilmington University in four sets, before falling to Daemen University in five sets at the WU Athletics Complex on Friday.
Saint Anselm 3, Wilmington (Del.) 1 (21-25, 25-14, 25-16, 25-21)
Highlights
- Saint Anselm improves to 1-1 all-time against Wilmington as this was the first meeting between the two programs since the Wildcats came out on top in three sets in 2005.
- Senior Sam Pila tallied 13 kills, eight digs, two service aces, one solo block, and one assist while totaling 16.0 points to lead the Hawks in the four-set victory.
- Senior Miia Dembski paced Saint Anselm with a team-high 15 kills while hitting an impressive .517 as she was errorless in the win.
- Sophomore Peyton Elward added 12 kills on a highly efficient .667 hitting percentage with two block assists while totaling 13.0 points.
- Sophomore Mckenna O'Connell directed the Hawks' offense with 46 assists while adding seven digs, two service aces and two kills.
- Senior Madeline Burke led the Hawks defensively with 17 digs to go with two aces and two assists while junior Taylor Lacerda contributed seven kills and five digs.
How it Happened
SET 1 | Wilmington jumped out to a 4-1 lead before Saint Anselm answered with a 5-1 stretch to take a 6-5 advantage. The Hawks later built a 12-9 lead, but Wilmington responded with a 6-1 run to move ahead 15-13 and eventually closed the opening frame on a 5-0 run, winning 25-21.
SET 2 | The Hawks took control early, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 lead before using a 6-0 run to open a 9-3 advantage. Saint Anselm continued to build its lead, moving ahead 19-10 after another strong stretch, and finished the set with six of the final seven points to win 25-14 and even the match.
SET 3 | Saint Anselm opened the third set with a 4-0 run and later pushed its lead to 10-5 after scoring five straight points. Wilmington cut the deficit to 14-11, but the Hawks responded with another 5-0 surge to take a 19-11 advantage before closing the frame, 25-16.
SET 4 | Wilmington took an early 7-5 lead before Saint Anselm rallied to go ahead 13-12. The Hawks then scored four straight points to move from 14-14 to 18-14, and after Wilmington pulled within one at 19-18, Saint Anselm closed the match with a 6-3 finish to win the fourth set, 25-21.
Daemen (N.Y.) 3, Saint Anselm 2 (25-22, 16-25, 25-22, 25-20, 21-25, 11-15)
Highlights
- Saint Anselm falls to 2-3 all-time against Daemen in the first matchup against the Wildcats since 2022. All five meetings have been neutral-site contests dating back to 2016.
- Pila led the Hawks with 12 kills, 19 digs and 14.5 points, her fifth double-double of the season.
- Lacerda recorded 12 kills while adding two digs and a block assist for 12.5 points.
- Burke anchored the Saint Anselm defense with a career-high 29 digs and two service aces.
- O'Connell had another standout performance to post her fourth double-double this year, recording 48 assists and 20 digs, while adding two kills, an ace, and 3.5 points.
How it Happened
SET 1 | Daemen jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Saint Anselm answered with three straight points to tie the frame, 3-3. After the Wildcats moved ahead 17-16, the Hawks scored five consecutive points to take a 21-17 lead, then held off a late Daemen rally to win the opener, 25-22.
SET 2 | Daemen took an early 5-1 lead before Saint Anselm gradually fought back, tying the set at 10-10. The Wildcats then scored eight straight points to build an 18-10 advantage, and although the Hawks trimmed the deficit to 21-14, Daemen closed the frame, 25-16.
SET 3 | Saint Anselm built an early 6-3 lead and later held a 13-12 advantage before Daemen answered with three straight points to take a 15-13 lead. The Hawks rallied to tie the set at 17-17 and then moved ahead 22-20 after scoring five of six points, before closing the frame, 25-22.
SET 4 | Saint Anselm took control early, racing out to a 7-1 lead after scoring six consecutive points. Daemen responded with a 6-0 run to tie the frame at 13-13, and the Wildcats later used another stretch to take a 20-19 lead before closing the set with five of the final six points, 25-21.
SET 5 | Daemen opened the deciding set with a 3-0 lead before Saint Anselm battled back to tie the frame at 7-7. The Wildcats then scored six of the next seven points to build a 13-8 advantage, and although the Hawks cut the deficit to 14-11, Daemen scored the final point to take the fifth set, 15-11, and the match, 3-2.
Up Next
Saint Anselm women's volleyball (5-3, 0-0 NE10) continues play in Newark, Del. for day two of the Wildcat Invitational hosted by Wilmington University at the WU Athletics Complex, with matches against Queens (N.Y.) and Holy Family at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. tomorrow.
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