MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Southern New Hampshire volleyball team was defeated by Merrimack College Tuesday evening  in a five-set thriller by a score of 3-2. The Penmen are now 5-4, while the Warriors stand at 4-7.

Game scores were 15-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-13, and 11-15.

Senior Ashlee Daoust (Brookline, N.H.) stepped up big for the Penmen who recently lost key player Victoria Wehrmann (Dallas, Texas) to injury for the remainder of the season. Daoust contributed 17 kills, including eight crucial ones in the fourth game to force a fifth set.

After dropping the first set to the Warriors, the Penmen evened the match out at one game apiece after taking the second set. SNHU led by as many as seven points in the second frame, and four Nina McGouldrick (Richardson, Texas) late kills fueled the 25-18 win.

Despite an early third set 7-2 lead by Merrimack, the Penmen managed to climb back into the game after scoring seven of the next nine points to tie the set at 9-9. The teams went back-and –forth until the 23-21 mark when the Warriors were able to pull away and take the third set by a score of 25-22.

With the game on the line, SNHU rallied back in the fourth set and totaled 12 team kills. Daoust put the game away leading the Penmen with eight kills, along with the last four of the set to force a deciding game.

Merrimack took a quick 7-1 advantage in the final set, but the Penmen fought back to cut the deficit to just one point at the 9-8 mark. The Warriors tallied the next two points, but a McGouldrick kill kept the Penmen within distance. Merrimack scored three more consecutive points, and closed out the match on a Jennifer Cain kill.

McGouldrick and Daoust each totaled 17 kills, while Catherine Cotton (Murphy, Texas) contributed 39 assists.

The Penmen return to action Friday, September 27 when they host Bridgeport University for a non-conference match at 7:30 p.m.

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