When and Where: September 7, 2024 – Manchester, N.H. (Stan Spirou Field House)
Score: Molloy University 3, Southern New Hampshire University 1
Records: SNHU 0-3, Molloy 3-1

Sophomore Elsa Gilmore (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) posted a career-high 10 kills, but the Southern New Hampshire University women's volleyball team lost, 3-2, to Molloy University on Saturday afternoon at the Stan Spirou Field House to finish off the SNHU/Saint Anselm Volleyball Opener.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Gilmore – career-high 10 kills, .450, 4 blocks, 2 digs
• Senior Deanne Wilson (Buffalo, N.Y.) – 11 kills, 2 aces, 13 digs, 2 blocks
• Sophomore Daya Jean-Baptiste (Miami, Fla.) – 8 kills, 3 aces, 5 blocks, 3 digs
• Junior Ella Koelb (Auburn, N.H.) – 30 assists, 14 digs, 2 blocks
• Freshman Addie Garn (Gilbert, Ariz.) – 5 aces, 11 digs
• Senior Julia Cavalcanti (Vineyard, Utah) – 6 kills, 5 blocks, 3 digs
• Sophomore Angela Mateos (Seville, Spain) – 7 kills, 2 blocks, 3 digs

KEY MOMENTS

• Molloy was clinging to a 20-19 lead when it tallied five of the final six points to take the first set.
• Leading, 14-12, in the second stanza, Southern New Hampshire reeled off five consecutive points as part of a 9-1 blitz that widened the gap to 23-13. Three kills from Mateos and a pair of service aces by Jean-Baptiste powered the stretch. Molloy responded with a 6-1 run to trim the deficit to five, but a Cavalcanti kill evened the match.
• The Lions led, 24-21, in the third when a 3-0 spurt – bookended by kills from Mateos and Cavalcanti – tied the score. Molloy used back-to-back kills, however, to go in front, 2-1.
• The Penmen jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the fourth and later ripped off five straight points to go up, 16-7. It was 22-12 when a Gilmore kill and pair of Garn aces sent the match to a deciding set.
• The Lions seized control from the start in the fifth, moving out to a 7-2 lead, before reeling off six straight later in the frame to grab a commanding 13-4 advantage.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Set scores were 25-20, 19-25, 26-24, 12-25, 15-5.
• Junior Laura Haas (Londonderry, N.H.) tallied 10 digs and a pair of aces.
• SNHU outhit Molloy in three of the five sets, but the Lions held a .151-.146 advantage, overall.
• The Penmen owned advantages in blocks (10-2) and aces (13-10).

NOTES

• Southern New Hampshire begins the season 0-3 for the first time since 2004, but has played stiff competition, including a team ranked 25th in the country and a 3-1 squad that advanced to the semifinals of the East Coast Conference Championship a year ago.
• The all-time series is now even, 2-2, with Molloy holding a 2-0 lead in Manchester.

WHAT'S NEXT

• The Penmen are back in action with four matches at the Wildcat Invitational, leading it off against host Wilmington (Del.) University on Friday, Sept. 13 (9 a.m.).
• SNHU is back home Friday, Oct. 4 (6 p.m.) when it plays host to Bentley University at the Field House.

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