MATCH 1 BOX SCORE | MATCH 2 BOX SCORE

When and Where: September 2, 2017 – Waltham, Mass. (Dana Center)
Match 1 Score: Caldwell University 3, Southern New Hampshire University 0
Match 2 Score: Southern New Hampshire 3, Mercy College 0
Records: SNHU 2-2, Caldwell 3-0, Mercy 0-4

Senior Marisa Coronis (Hudson, N.H.) paced the team with 32 kills, as the Southern New Hampshire University women's volleyball team again split a pair of matches at the Hoffman Memorial Invitational on Saturday at Bentley University's Dana Center. SNHU was blanked by Caldwell University, 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 26-14), before sweeping Mercy College, 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-14.

Coronis gathered her 32 kills on .368 hitting, while also recording 21 digs. Junior Jessica Dillon (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) tallied nine kills, 36 assists and 25 digs.

In the win against Mercy, SNHU trailed, 8-6, in the opening set before ripping off 10 straight points to take a 16-8 lead. Coronis recorded a kill and a pair of service aces during the stretch. Later in the frame, Mercy strung together four straight to trim its deficit to 21-18 and again notched four consecutive points to climb within 24-23. Junior Priscila Castro (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) ended it, however, with a big kill that gave the Penmen a 1-0 advantage.

Southern New Hampshire jumped out to a 4-1 lead in set No. 2 and led, 9-6, when kills from four different players, including Dillon, who capped the stretch with a service ace, powered a 5-1 run that opened the SNHU advantage to 14-7. The lead had dwindled to four later in the set when three service aces from junior Shaira Sanabria (Tampa, Fla.) highlighted an 8-0 blitz that gave the Penmen a commanding 23-11 lead. After giving up two straight points, SNHU would tally the final two and go up, 2-0, in the match.

In the third set, two Coronis kills staked the Penmen to an 8-1 lead. The gap was nine at 13-4 later in the set when a Coronis kill sparked a 4-1 spurt that widened the advantage to 17-6. Mercy would close to within 22-14 when a Coronis kill and two service aces from sophomore Joanne Coffey (Merrimack, N.H.) clinched the match.

Coronis totaled 18 kills on .485 hitting, to go along with a pair of service aces and seven digs. Castro tallied eight kills on .368 hitting and added five digs. Dillon recorded a double-double of 20 assists and 12 digs, with a pair of service aces, while Coffey chipped in 12 assists, two service aces and five digs. Senior Kathleen Schurman (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) added 12 digs.

Caldwell leapt out to a 4-1 lead in the opening set and held an 11-6 advantage when an 11-4 run – with three kills from Dillon and two from Coronis – put SNHU in the lead, 17-15. It would be short-lived, however, as the Cougars ripped off an 8-1 run to go back in front, 23-18. The Penmen would swipe back-to-back points, but Caldwell ended it with a pair of kills to go up, 1-0.

A Dillon service ace to begin the second set sparked a 4-1 run for the Penmen, but a 17-4 blitzing gave Caldwell a commanding 18-8 advantage. The lead was still 10 at 21-11 when a 5-1 spurt – with two kills from Coronis – trimmed the SNHU deficit to 22-16, but the Cougars grabbed a 2-0 lead with three straight points to cap the set.

Southern New Hampshire went in front, 5-2, to begin the third set, but four straight points from Caldwell knotted the score at 5-5. The Cougars led, 8-7, when six straight points from SNHU leapfrogged it back in front, 13-8. A 6-2 counter-run pulled Caldwell within a single point at 15-14, but a 4-1 spurt would give the Penmen breathing room at 19-15. Caldwell would come all the way back with a 7-2 run giving it a 22-21 edge. Penmen blocks on back-to-back rallies gave SNHU a 23-22 lead, but the Cougars would do exactly the same to seesaw in front, 24-23. A Dillon kill evened the set at 24-all, but consecutive Caldwell kills ended the match.

Coronis led the way with 14 kills and 14 digs. Dillon tallied six kills, 16 assists and 13 digs, while sophomore Jaclyn Maguire (Rochester, N.Y.) added five kills and nine digs. Coffey chimed in with nine assists and 10 digs, with Schurman collecting 12 digs.

Notes:
-Dillon was named to the Hoffman Memorial Invitational All-Tournament Team.
-Southern New Hampshire outhit Mercy in each set and .265-.066, overall.
-SNHU hit .500 in the second set against the Mavericks, marking the second straight day it hit .500 or better in a single frame.
-Caldwell hit better than the Penmen in all three sets, as well as .179-.066, overall. 

Up Next:
The Penmen return to action Tuesday, Sept. 12 (7 p.m.) when they take on crosstown rival Saint Anselm College. SNHU opens its home slate at the SNHU Fieldhouse against Saint Anselm exactly one week later on Tuesday, Sept. 19 (7 p.m.).

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