When and Where: November 18, 2022 – Springfield, Mass. (Butova Gymnasium)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 3, Saint Anselm College 1
Records: SNHU 18-7, Saint Anselm 21-10
Graduate student
Alice Arletti (Modena, Italy) posted nine kills and eight blocks, while hitting a sizzling .600, to help lead the sixth-seeded Southern New Hampshire University women's volleyball team to a 3-1 triumph over seventh-seeded Saint Anselm College in the NCAA East Regional semifinals at American International College's Butova Gymnasium on Friday evening. The Penmen, who matched the single-season program record for wins, will play for the regional crown Saturday night.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Arletti – 9 kills, .600 hitting, 2 aces, 8 blocks, 3 digs
- Redshirt-junior Ana Pimenta (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) – 15 kills, 16 digs, 3 blocks
- Sophomore Carmen Bernardis (Trieste, Italy) – 10 kills, 5 blocks, 6 digs
- Senior Dai Thawnghmung (Lowell, Mass.) – 10 kills, 1 ace, 2 blocks
- Graduate student Sara Montefameglio (Turin, Italy) – 44 assists, 2 aces, 15 digs
- Sophomore Deanne Wilson (No. Collins, N.Y.) – 22 digs, 2 aces
- Senior Kam Blaskey (Ventura, Calif.) – 8 kills, .278 hitting, 4 blocks, 2 digs
KEY MOMENTS
- SNHU led, 6-5, in the opening set when Saint Anselm ripped off five straight and eight of the next nine to build a 13-7 advantage. The Penmen would later counter with six of seven to climb within 16-15. The Hawks held a 23-22 edge when back-to-back points closed the set and gave them a 1-0 lead.
- In a tightly-contested second stanza, SNHU trailed, 19-18, when it reeled off seven of the next eight to even the match with a 25-20 victory.
- SNHU held a 15-13 edge in the third set when it used a 7-2 run – with kills from four different Penmen – to extend its lead to 22-15. Saint Anselm would whittle its deficit to 24-19 before an Arletti kill gave the Penmen a 2-1 lead in the match.
- The Penmen led the fourth frame, 14-11, when it scored nine of the next 10 to open a 23-12 advantage. Saint Anselm countered with four straight and six of the next seven, but an attack error by the Hawks sent SNHU to the regional final.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Set scores were 22-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-18.
- Senior Ainsley Knox (Houston, Texas) collected seven digs and served up an ace.
- Sophomore Chiara Di Valerio (Terni, Italy) tallied five digs.
- SNHU outhit Saint Anselm in each of the four sets, as well as .219-.108, for the match.
- The Penmen held advantages in blocks (12-7) and aces (8-5).
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire has won 12 of its last 15, including seven of nine and six of seven.
- The Penmen match the single-season program record with their 18th victory. The original mark was set by the 1986 squad that finished 18-18. This year's .720 winning percentage is SNHU's best all-time.
- The Penmen are now 2-0 in their first NCAA Championship appearance.
- Saint Anselm has won nine of the last 14 meetings, but SNHU has now captured four of the last five tilts dating back to last season. The Penmen are 3-1 against the Hawks this season and have now won three-in-a-row, including an NE10 Championship quarterfinal and the NCAA East Regional semifinal.
- The Penmen earn one point in the Queen City Cup standings with the win and now lead, 13-9, in the battle for Manchester supremacy.
WHAT'S NEXT
- The Penmen will take on fifth-seeded Adelphi University in the NCAA East Regional final on Saturday (Nov. 19) at 7 p.m. back at Butova Gymnasium.
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