No. 9 Volleyball Falls to No. 1 Simmons in GNAC Quarterfinals

BOSTON – The ninth-seeded University of Saint Joseph (USJ) volleyball team saw its 2023 season come to a close, falling to top-seeded Simmons University, 3-0, in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinals Tuesday night inside the Holmes Sports Center in Boston, Mass. With the result, the Blue Jays conclude the year at 8-21.

KEY MOMENTS 

• The two teams battled back-and-forth to begin the set, as freshman outside hitter Shaye Harris (Prospect, Conn.) tied the set at 6-6.
• Simmons started to gain momentum, breaking open a three-point lead, 10-7, and forcing USJ to call a timeout.
• The Blue Jays pulled back within two, 10-8, after a kill from senior outside hitter Shannon Carey (Bayport, N.Y.), but the Sharks began to pull away, establishing a 20-13 edge as USJ called another timeout.
• The deficit proved too much to overcome as Simmons took the opening set, 25-14.
• USJ took an early lead in the second set, 6-4, after kills from Carey, Harris and freshman middle blocker Vivian Pawloski (Wallingford, Conn.).
• However, the Sharks responded with a 6-1 run, gaining the lead, 10-7, and making USJ call a timeout.
• Simmons kept its foot on the gas, increasing the gap to 20-12 as the Blue Jays called another timeout.
• The Sharks continued to hold off the Blue Jays, closing the set on a 5-1 run to win the second set, 25-13, and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
• USJ took another 6-4 lead to begin the third set, but Simmons fought back and tied the set at 8-8.
• The Sharks then began to pull away, utilizing a 7-1 stretch to take a 15-9 edge, and saw the Blue Jays call a timeout.
• The gap proved to be too much for USJ to overcome, as Simmons secured the final set, 25-16, and the match, 3-0.

NOTES 

• Carey paced the team with eight kills.
• Graduate student setter Nicole Albert (Meriden, Conn.) led the Blue Jays with 13 assists.
• Senior libero Katina Nanos (Lebanon, Conn.) tallied a team-high 13 digs.
• With the result, Simmons increases its lead against USJ to 16-4 in the all-time series and tied the postseason series history at 1-1.

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