WORCESTER, Mass. – Emma Houlihan (Shoreham, N.Y.)  led the Southern New Hampshire University volleyball team with 17 kills en route to a 3-2 Northeast-10 Conference win over Assumption College Saturday afternoon. The Penmen improve to 8-5 overall and remain unbeaten in conference play at 3-0, while the Greyhounds are now 3-10, and 0-4 in league play.

Game scores were 18-25, 25-13, 21-25, 25-21, and 15-12.

After dropping the first set, the Penmen jumped out to an early 8-1 lead over Assumption in the second game, and did not look back as they led by as many as 13 points to tie up the match at 1-1.

Despite another early run for SNHU in the third set, leading by a score of 10-6, the Greyhounds fought their way back into the game and scored five consecutive points to take a 11-10 lead over the Penmen. The two teams traded points until the 14-14 mark until Assumption pulled away scoring another five straight, making the score 19-14. The visitors made one more late push, but the deficit was too much, and Assumption took a 2-1 lead over SNHU.

Facing defeat, the Penmen totaled 13 team kills in the fourth set to force a fifth deciding frame.

The final set was back-and-forth, and after losing an early lead, SNHU climbed its way back to score three consecutive points to take an 11-8 lead. Back-to-back kills from Ashlee Daoust (Brookline, N.H.) put the set away, and gave the Penmen a fifth-set victory.

Nina McGouldrick (Richardson, Texas) totaled 14 kills in the win along with 14 digs. Maeghan Higgins (Hesperia, Calif.) added a team-best 25 digs, while Kendra Mikuta (Orland Park, Ill.), Catherine Cotton (Murphy, Texas), and McGouldrick all totaled 14 digs. Cotton also dished out 43 assists.

The Penmen return to action Tuesday, October 8, when they host Stonehill College in a league match at 7:00 p.m.

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