Volleyball

WILLIAMS WINS NCAA FIRST-ROUND MATCH OVER EMERSON IN THREE SETS

Courtesy of Tufts University Sports Information

2009 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship - Tufts Regional
Williams 3, Emerson 0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-16)

Thursday, 11/12/09

Match boxscore:

MEDFORD, Mass. -- The Williams College Ephs overpowered the Emerson College Lions 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-16) in a first round matchup of the 2009 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship on Thursday afternoon at Cousens Gymnasium on the campus of Tufts University.

Emerson held strong during the first set as they led by three points at 17-14, but at that point in the set Williams took control. After ties of 17-17, 18-18 and 19-19, the Ephs gained the advantage at 20-19 and never let the Lions get even on the way to a 25-22 first set victory.

In the second set, Williams jumped out to a quick lead of 4-1. The Lions rallied back for their only lead of the set at 7-6. After ties of 9-9 and 10-10, the Ephs stormed ahead scoring 15 of the final 19 points for the 25-14 win.

Williams looked to end it early in the third set going ahead 5-0 and once again Emerson battled back and tied it at 5-5. The Lions would assume a lead of three points at 14-11, but the Ephs asserted themselves again as they tied it at 15-15 and finished on a 10-1 run for the 25-16 win and the three-set sweep.

Junior Eleanor Levine led the Ephs (22-8) in kills with nine and she also added two service aces. Junior Emily Avis recorded a match-high 30 assists to go along with 12 digs, while junior Kate Anderson tallied eight kills.

For Emerson (30-7), Lauren Zaniboni '11 (San Diego, CA) collected a match-high 11 kills and Sara Rutan '11 (Santa Clarita, CA) had the match-high in digs with 19. Rutan, along with Zaniboni and Kelsey Scanlon '13 (Sonoma, CA) each served one ace. Katie Bailey '12 (Calabasas, CA) led the Lions with 13 assists.

"I thought we started off a little slow, but give a lot of credit to Emerson," Williams head coach Christi Kelsey said. "They're a very solid team. They have some great players and they came ready to play today. It took us a full set to get into our system, and finally we just got a little bit cleaner and a little bit sharper and we were fortunate enough at the end with our ball control to pull it out. But Emerson had a great year and hats off to them for being into the NCAA Tournament."

Williams will face the winner of Thursday's UMass-Boston/Westfield State first round match in the Tufts Regional semi-finals of the 2009 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship on Friday afternoon at 4:30 pm.

ZANIBONI LEADS LIONS TO GNAC TITLE

Match Boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. – top seeded Emerson College (30-6) followed the lead of tournament MVP Lauren Zaniboni (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) and defeated second seed Johnson & Wales University (23-15) 3-1 in the championship match of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women’s Volleyball Tournament at Emerson’s Brown-Plofker Gym.
Zaniboni, who earlier in the day was named the Conference’s Player of the Year, had 25 kills on 52 attack attempts and added 14 digs and five blocks. The 6’2” middle hitter had a .404 hitting percentage in the match.

Both teams showed nerves in the early going of the first game as a block error and two service errors gave Johnson & Wales a 2-1 lead. Following an exchange of points, the Wildcats took a lead they would not relinquish on an Emerson service error. The lead stretched to 18-9 before Emerson started a methodical comeback. The Lions twice reduced the margin to two points, the last time on a Wildcat service error at 19-21 but three kills gave Johnson & Wales game point and an Emerson attack error gave game one to the Wildcats, 25-20.

Emerson started strongly in game two as services by Katie Bailey (So., Calabasas, Calif.) and Zaniboni gave the Lions an 8-3 lead. Emerson stretched the lead to 16-9 on a kill by Erin Connolly (Sr., Quincy, Mass.). Johnson & Wales scored eight of the next eleven points to pull within 19-17 on a service ace by Abbey Reedy (So., Cincinnati, OH). A kill by Connolly increased the Lions’ advantage to three points, but Johnson & Wales refused to give in and rallied to tie the game at 24 on a kill by Catherine Bravo (Jr., Toa Baja, Puerto Rico). A Zaniboni winner followed by an attack error by the Lions kept the score tied, but kills by Jessica Drumright (So., San Francisco, Calif.) and Kelsey Scanlon (FY, Sonoma, Calif.) put away the second game for Emerson by a 27-25 count.

In game three, Emerson again roared out to an early lead running to a 6-0 advantage on Scanlon’s serves. A later 5-2 run by Johnson & Wales brought the Wildcats to within two points at 12-10. Bailey served six straight points to open up an 18-10 Lion lead. Johnson & Wales crept back to within four points at 24-20, but a bad Wildcat set gave the Lions the game at 25-20 and a 2-1 lead in the match.

The first half of the deciding set was close as the score at the midway point was 12-11. A 10-3 run by Emerson gave the Lions an insurmountable 22-14 lead, and a block by Zaniboni sealed the game and give Emerson its first GNAC Women’s Volleyball title in the history of the program.

In addition to Zaniboni’s 25 kills, Connolly added a dozen and Drumright had six for Emerson. Bravo (11) and Ashley Constantino (Sr., Marlton, N.J.) with 10 were in double figures for Johnson & Wales. Bailey had 30 assists for the Lions and the Wildcat’s Kasey Higgins (FY, Wallingford, Conn.) had 32. Bravo and Emerson’s Sara Rutan (Jr., Santa Clarita, Calif.) tied for the match lead with 17 digs apiece.

In addition to Zaniboni, Emerson’s Connolly and Bailey were All-Tournament team selections as were Bravo and Constantino of Johnson & Wales. Rounding out the team were Rivier’s Kenna Finlayson and Jenna Ross of Emmanuel College.

With the victory, Emerson earns the GNAC automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. The Lions will find out on Monday their seed and destination.

LIONS RALLY TO ADVANCE TO CHAMPIONSHIP

Match Boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. – Top seeded Emerson College rallied from an 0-2 deficit in games to defeat fourth seed Rivier College 3-2 and advance to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship game. The Lions took the match by scores of 23-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-18, 15-7.

Rivier built a 12-9 lead in the first game, but Emerson rallied to tie the score at 12 on a kill by Jessica Drumright (So., San Francisco, Calif.). After Emerson briefly took the lead, Rivier came back to take an 18-15 advantage on a block by Danielle Jacques. Emerson tied the match at 20 on a block by Lauren Zaniboni (Jr., San Diego, Calif). The teams then exchanged points until a kill by Kenna Finlayson gave the Raiders a 24-22 lead. A kill by Zaniboni brought the Lions back to within one. Finlayson ended the game with a successful attack.

The second game started with a 5-0 run off service by Emerson’s Katie Bailey (So., Calabasas, Calif.). The Raiders managed to fight back to tie the game at 10, but Emerson pulled back out to a 14-11 lead. A service error by Emerson opened the door to seven consecutive Raider points, the last coming on an attack by Finlayson. Emerson pulled to within three points four times, but a blocking error ended the game.

Game three saw the Raiders take a 13-9 lead. Emerson scored five of the next six points to pull even at 14 on a Rivier attack error. The teams traded the next five points with the Lions taking a 17-16 lead on an attack by Kelsey Scanlon (FY, Sonoma, Calif.). A Raider attack error, and an Emerson double hit kept the margin at one, but Drumright hit two consecutive winners to give Emerson a 20-17 advantage.  River pulled back to within one on an Emerson double hit and an attack by Lindsay Chace. A block by Zaniboni and Drumright, followed by an Erin Connolly (Sr., Quincy, Mass.) winner was too much for the Raiders to overcome and gave the Lions new life.

A similar start to the fourth game saw Rivier take an 11-8 lead. The Lions scored three straight off an attack error by Rivier and two Scanlon service aces. A Finlayson kill gave the Raiders a brief lead, and the teams traded points until a Zanibni block game Emerson a 18-16 advantage. A winner from Emileigh Cenedella brought the score to 18-17, but four consecutive attacks, three by Zaniboni and one by Drumright set the Lions up with a 22-17 advantage. Two more Zaniboni attacks brought game point, and the Lions took the game on Raider ball handling error.

The fifth game was all Zaniboni. The 6’2”middle hitter had a kill, four block points, and two service aces. Emerson built an 11-4 lead and never looked back to advance to the championship game.

Emerson (29-6) will host second seeded Johnson & Wales University in Saturday’s Championship match at the Brown-Plofker Gym at 1:00pm. Rivier concludes its GNAC season at 21-13.

EMERSON ROLLS TO GNAC VOLLEYBALL SEMI-FINALS

Match boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. – Top seeded Emerson College rode a strong attack game to defeat number eight seed Lasell College 3-0 in the first round of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship Tournament at Emerson’s Brown-Plofker Gym. The Lions took the match by scores of 25-22, 25-12 and 25-16.

The first game proved to be the tightest as Emerson bolted out to a 12-4 lead. Lasell rallied to pull within 16-13 on a net violation by the Lions. A kill by Emerson’s Jessica Drumright (So., San Francisco, Calif.) followed by an Emerson hitting error kept the margin at three. Kills by Erin Connolly (Sr., Quincy, Mass.) and Kelsey Scanlon (FY, Sonoma, Calif.) increased the Lions’ lead to 19-14. The teams exchanged the next four points until a block by the Lasers’ Elizabeth Nichols pulled Lasell to within 17-21. Another kill by Eileen Barrett made the score 18-21 but a service error and a kill by Drumright gave Emerson set point at 24-18. Following a Lasell timeout, Emerson committed a service error, followed by an attack error, and a ball handling error. A block by Lasell’s Danielle Drabeau made the score 24-22, but a kill by Connolly ended the game.

The second set was all Emerson as the Lions roared out to a 10-2 lead. Lasell was never able to close the gap to less than six points the remainder of the game.

Substituting freely in the third set, Emerson fell behind 10-8. Three consecutive kills by Emerson, followed by an attack error and a ball handling error by the Lasers gave Emerson a 13-10 advantage. Lasell pulled back to within one on a service error and attack error by Emerson, but Drumright nailed a kill, and the Lions pulled away to take the match.

Emerson was led by Lauren Zaniboni (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) who had 15 kills on 30 attempts. Connolly notched eight kills.

Emerson (28-6, 12-0 GNAC) will now face the winner of the Rivier College-Mount Ida College first round match at home on Thursday at 7:00pm. Lasell concludes it season with a record of 10-23, 5-7 GNAC.

Lions Stay Unbeaten in GNAC with 3-0 win

Match boxscore

Emerson Rolls through Emmanuel to Capture GNAC Regular Season Crown

Match boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. -- Emerson College started slowly, but finished strongly in a 3-0 victory over Emmanuel College to take the 2009 regular season women's volleyball championship of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. The Lions finished the conference season with a perfect 12-0 record and dropped Emmanuel to third place with a 10-2 record.

The victory gives Emerson the top seed in the upcoming GNAC Championship tournament and guarantees home court for the Lions for as long as the team keeps winning. The first game will be Tuesday, November 3 at 7:00pm against eighth seeded Lasell College.

UMASS BOSTON WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL DEFEATS EMERSON, 3-1

Match Boxscore

From UMass Boston Sports Information

BOSTON, Mass. – Senior outside hitter Kate McWhorter spiked for 12 kills and added four aces, while freshman middle hitter Alexa Sullivan put down eight kills on a .438 hitting mark to lead the University of Massachusetts Boston women’s volleyball team over visiting Emerson College, 25-17, 25-19, 16-25, 25-16, tonight at the Clark Athletic Center on the campus of UMass Boston. The Beacons, who are currently ranked second in the latest NCAA Division III New England Women’s Volleyball Poll, win their 12th straight contest and have won 25 of their last 27 matches to improve to 25-4 to match the school record for victories established last season. UMass Boston’s third set loss was the first set it has dropped all season at home, snapping a string of 32 straight frames without a loss. The Lions fall to 25-6 on the season.

The Beacons, who honored McWhorter and outside hitter Kate White, as the program’s only seniors for 2009, jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the first set, but Emerson came back with a 6-1 run to close to within 10-8. UMass Boston scored eight of the next nine points on the service of McWhorter and freshman setter Frana Burtness-Adams to take an 18-9 lead, before closing out the set. The Lions owned a 5-4 edge in the second set, but the Beacons went on a 9-2 stretch to take a 13-7 advantage and never looked back. Emerson opened up an 8-3 margin in set three, but UMass Boston ripped off five straight points on freshman libero Bethany Rossoll’s serve to tie it at 8-8. The Lions later took a 21-15 lead and went on to take the set to cut the match deficit to 2-1. Emerson held a 6-3 lead in the fourth set, but the Beacons reeled off seven straight points on McWhorter’s serve for a 10-6 lead. UMass Boston later increased its advantage to 18-10, before the Lions closed to within 20-15, but it would be as close as the visitors would come.

McWhorter’s 12 kills gave her 877 for her career with the Beacons to move past Laurel Smith (2000-02) and into second on the school’s all-time list. She also added six digs to her night. Sullivan committed just one error on the evening, while freshman middle hitter Shannon Thompson smashed 12 kills to go with eight digs, two block solos and an ace. White put down eight kills and picked up a dig, while sophomore setter Cassy Hanneman directed the action with 41 assists in addition to four digs and an ace. Rossoll anchored the defense with a match-high 14 digs and junior defensive specialist Michelle Cawley chipped in with eight digs.

Junior middle hitter Lauren Zaniboni (San Diego, CA) led Emerson with 11 kills and four aces and added four digs and three total blocks, while senior middle hitter Erin Connolly (Quincy, MA) spiked for six kills, served up an ace, got down for seven digs and got up for a match-high six total blocks. Sophomore setter Katie Bailey (Calabasas, CA) registered 14 assists, three digs and was credited with a kill on her only attempt, while junior libero Sara Rutan (Santa Clarita, CA) scooped up a team-best 12 digs.

The Lions will close the regular season as they take on Saint Joseph College (CT) at 2:00 p.m. and Emmanuel College at 4:00 p.m. on October 31 in a tri-match at Emmanuel. If Emerson sweeps the match the Lions will finish undefeated in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play and will receive the top seed in the upcoming GNAC Championship Tournament.

Emerson stays perfect in GNAC With Rout of Pine Manor

Match boxscore

Lions Defeat Rivier for First Time Ever

Match boxscore

EMERSON COLLEGE OVERPOWERS EASTERN W-VOLLEYBALL

From Eastern Connecticut State University Sports Information

Match boxscore

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- Lauren Zaniboni (San Diego, Calif.) and Erin Connolly ( Quincy, Mass.) each had 17 kills to lift the Emerson College women’s volleyball team to a four-game victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Thursday nightat Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium. The Lions won by scores of 25-22, 22-25,25-17, 25-17.

Eastern (10-16), which last lost five straight, led in the early stages of the first three games, but managed to win only one of them. In the final game, Emerson scored six straight points to break from a 14-14 tie on the way to its eighth straight victory. The match was the first ever between the programs.

The 5-foot-11 inch Connolly attacked at .368 and the lefty-swinging 6-foot-2 inch Zaniboni attacked at .292, with Maddie Breeland (Fairfax, Va.) collecting nine kills and attacking at .300.

Five different Eastern players had double-figure digs. Sophomore Britt Carrier led the Warriors with 16, sophomore Samantha Slonski adding 15, sophomore Taylor Abelli 13, senior Ashley Tuggle and junior Alyssa Ruta 11 each.

The Lions used a 7-1 run to wipe out an early seven-point Eastern lead and scored the final three points to break a 22-22 tie in Game 1. Zaniboni had consecutive kills and Eastern committed a service error to account for Emerson’s final three points.

In Game 2, sophomore Kristianna Ibsen had a kill and ace to push the Warriors into the lead for good, 21-20. Slonski then scored a point when her dig landed on Emerson’s side of the floor, and Carrier added a service ace to make it 24-21.

Tuggle served the first five points of the match to lift the Warriors into an early lead in Game 3, but Breeland and Connolly powered the Emerson offense, the Lions answering with ten of the next 11 points and Emerson was never headed in taking the critical 2-games-to-1 lead.

Emerson’s Sara Rutan (Santa Clarita, Calif.) led all players in the match with 17 digs, setter Katie Bailey (Calabasas, Calif.) adding 14 digs and 26 assists. Rutan also had a .943 reception percentage on 35 tries.

Emerson will host Great Northeast Athletic Conference opponents Rivier College and Pine Manor College in a tri-match on Saturday with matches at 10:00am, 12:00pm and 2:00pm.

Lions Set Win Mark, Dispatch Rams in 3

Match Boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. - Emerson College set a school single season record with its 22nd win of the year and remained perfect in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play as the Lions dispatched Suffolk University 3-0 in women's volleyball.  Emerson took the match by scores of 25-8, 25-17, and 25-11.

Emerson dominated the first game as Suffolk had problems with serve reception.  The Lions knocked in 14 service aces including a stretch of five in a row and seven of eight points off serves by Lauren Zaniboni (Jr., San Diego, Calif.).  The Lions never trailed in the game.

Emerson scored the first two points of the second game, but Suffolk rallied to take a 6-3 and 7-4 leads.  Following a service error by the Rams, Emerson scored four points off service by Kelsey Scanlon (FY, Sonoma, Calif.) to take a 9-7 lead.  A ball handling error by the Lions made the score 9-8, but a kill by Zaniboni and six consecutive service points from Sara Rutan (Jr., Santa Clarita, Calif.) including three aces gave the Lions an insurmountable 16-8 advantage.  Zaniboni's second kill of the set finished the 25-17 win.

The Lions never trailed in the third game roaring out to a 5-0 lead on service by Katie Bailey (So., Calabasas, Calif.).  Suffolk managed to get within 5-2 but Emerson scored 11 of the next dozen points to put the match out of reach.  A service ace by Scanlon was the clincher.

Erin Connolly (Sr., North Quincy, Mass.) led the Lions with a half dozen kills, while Scanlon and Zaniboni had five each.  Zaniboni also led Emerson with seven service aces and six blocks.  As a team the Lions' hitting percentage was .339 for the match.

Emerson (22-5, 8-0 GNAC) will next play at 7:00pm at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic.

Emerson Captures Wheaton Invitational, Zaniboni Selected MVP

From Wheaton College Sports Information

NORTON, MA- The Emerson College women's volleyball team was crowned team champion, and Lion junior Lauren Zaniboni (San Diego, Calif./Torrey Pines) earned MVP honors at the Wheaton College Invitational on Saturday in Emerson Gymnasium. Senior Erin Connolly (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) from victorious Emerson was on the all-tournament team, joining Gordon College senior Meredith Phipps Rhode Island College freshman Breanna Boyerand Wheaton junior Becca Rose

Most Valuable Player       Lauren Zaniboni, Emerson               All-Tournament Team       Erin Connolly, Emerson       Meredith Phipps, Gordon       Breanna Boyer, Rhode Island College       Becca Rose, Wheaton

Team Standings       1. Emerson (3-0)            2. Wheaton (2-1)            3. Rhode Island College (1-2)       4. Gordon (0-3)

Saturday, October 17, 2009 Results
    Emerson (19-5) def. Wheaton (13-11), 3-2 (19-25, 15-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-13)
    WC: Miranda Howitt 12 kills; Becca Rose 38 assists, 4 aces; Emily Davisson 26 digs; Lauren Kraus 3 blocks; Kaitlyn Stokes 3 blocks
    EC: Lauren Zaniboni 18 kills, 5 blocks; Katie Bailey 20 assists, 4 aces; Maddie Breeland 22 digs

Emerson (20-5) def. Rhode Island College (15-12), 3-1 (16-25, 27-25, 25-22, 25-20)
  EC: Erin Connolly 15 kills; Katie Bailey 21 assists; Maddie Breeland 11 digs; Lauren Zaniboni 6 blocks; Sara Rutan 3 aces
  RIC: Breanna Boyer 12 kills; Jessica Ho 40 assists; April Oberhelman 11 digs; Kalyn Archer 5 blocks; Tess Heidel 3 aces

Rhode IslandCollege(16-12) def. Gordon (6-17), 3-1 (25-20, 24-26, 25-22, 25-17)
  GC: Meredith Phipps 10 kills, 2 blocks; Sasha Duprey 24 assists; Kaylie McCallister 16 digs, 2 aces; Alex Nawoichik 2 blocks
  RIC: Breanna Boyer 16 kills; Jessica Ho 42 assists; Tiara Bottachiari 7 digs; Kalyn Archer 6 blocks; Tess Heidel 2 aces

Emerson (21-5) def. Gordon (6-18), 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-13)
  EC: Lauren Zaniboni 14 kills, 2 blocks, 2 aces; Jilisa Rawding 17 assists; Sara Rutan 14 digs
  GC: Keri Hustus 8 kills; Meredith Phipps 8 kills; Sasha Duprey 19 assists; Kaylie McCallister 6 digs; Alex Nawoichik 1 block; Leah Chamberlain 1 ace

Wheaton(14-11) def. Rhode Island College (16-13), 3-2 (25-20, 24-26, 25-20, 22-25, 15-12)
  WC: Meredith Howitt 24 kills; Becca Rose 53 assists; Emily Davisson 41 digs; Lauren McGrath 5 blocks
  RIC: Breanna Boyer 23 kills; Jessica Ho 56 assists; April Oberhelman 15 digs; Kalyn Archer 3 blocks, 3 aces

Wheaton(15-11) def. Gordon (6-19), 3-0 (25-15, 25-21, 25-23)
  WC: Lauren Kraus 13 kills, 1 block, 3 aces; Becca Rose 35 assists; Emily Davisson 24 digs; Lauren McGrath 1 block; Kaitlyn Stokes 1 block; Olanna Nissim 3 aces
  GC: Meredith Phipps 12 kills, 2 blocks; Sasha Duprey 19 assists, 1 ace; Kaylie McCallister 14 digs; Leah Chamberlain 1 ace; Keri Hustus 1 ace

Emerson Controls Match Against Wentworth

Match Boxscore

Lions win Tri Match

Match Boxscore  - Albertus

Match Boxscore - Simmons

Golden Bears Drop Lions, 3-1

Game boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. -- Western New England College dropped the first game but then rallied to take three straight and defeat Emerson College 3-1 in a non-conference women's volleyball match at Emerson's Brown-Plofker Gym.

Emerson dominated the first game with Erin Connolly (Sr., Quincy, Mass.) leading the way. Connolly had seven kills and a block point in the game that Emerson took by a 25-11 count.

Game two was a nail-biter throughout. Emerson held an 8-7 lead following a kill by Connolly. Two kills by the Golden Bears Samantha Shomo (Jr., Glen Gardner, N.J.) gave WNEC a 9-8 lead. The lead would ultimately stretch to five points on three occasions, the last being a 19-14 Golden Bear advantage following a Lion attack error. Emerson rallied to tie the match at 20 on a kill by Maddie Breeland (So., Fairfax, Va.). WNEC moved the score to 23-20, only to see Emerson again rally to tie the score at 24 on a Golden Bear attack error. An Emerson service error gave WNEC a 25-24 lead and Rachel Cervone (Sr., West Springfield, Mass.) took the game for WNEC with a kill to make the final 26-24.

WNEC broke out to a 4-0 lead in the third game and Emerson was never able to reduce the deficit to less than two points as the Golden Bears cruised to a 25-15 win.

The teams traded the first 10 points of the fourth game with WNEC grabbing the lead on an attack by Shomo. The Golden Bears then ran off eight of the next teen points to take a 14-7 lead. The deficit shrank to five on an attack error by WNEC, but a run of 6-1 for the Golden Bears all but sealed the match. Kills by Kristen Jordan (So.,Sherman, Conn.) and Shomo ended the match with a 25-14 final score.

Emerson (15-5) next plays a Great Northeast Athletic Conference tri-match on Friday evening against Simmons and Albertus Magnus with the first game slated for 4:00pm.

Lions Grab Another GNAC Win Against Monks

Match Boxscore

Emerson Shuts Out Lasell

Match Boxscore

Bowdoin Comes out with Victory Over Emerson

Match Boxscore

Lions Rally to Knock Off Owls 3-2

Match boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. -- Emerson College rallied from a 1-2 deficit to take the final two games and defeat Keene State College 30-2 in a non-conference women’s volleyball match at Emerson’s Brown-Plofker Gym.

The Lions took the fourth set by a 25-21 count and then closed out the match by a score of 15-10.

Keene won the first set by a score of 25-22. The Owls held a 20-17 lead when Emerson’s Erin Connolly (Sr., Quincy, Mass.) served three points on two service aces and a kill to tie the set. Keene took a 21-20 lead after a rally, but the Lions’ Lauren Zaniboni (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) evened the score with a kill. A kill by Keene’s Jamie Levine followed by a service point by Levine moved the margin to 21-21. Following a service error, kills by the Owls’ Braelan O’Toole and Madison McHugh closed out the set.

Emerson answered with its strongest showing of the night in the second set, taking the point by a 25-11 count.

The Owls came back with a 25-21 win in the third set. The two teams were never separated by more than three point throughout until Keene’s Jordan Pokryfki served a pair of points to give the Owls a 20-16 edge. Emerson was able to rally to within 23-21, but two attack errors give the set to the Owls.

The Lions responded in the fourth set. After trailing 12-15, Emerson pulled even at 16 all and took the lead on an attack error by the Owls. The Lions then ran off four consecutive points highlighted by a sensational dig for a winner by Sara Rutan (Jr., Santa Clarita, Calif.). Keene pulled within 21-22 on an Emerson attack error, but tow kills by Zaniboni and one by Connolly gave the Lions the set, 25-21.

Keene took the first point in the deciding game and the teams tied at 1-1 and 2-2. Emerson took a 6-3 lead on a Connolly attack, but the Owls rallied on a kill by McHugh and an attack error by the Lions to pull within 7-6. Kills by Emerson’s Jessica Drumright (So., San Francisco, Calif.) and Kristina Ten (Jr., Horseheads, N.Y.) gave the Lions a 9-6 advantage which eventually stretched to 14-8, A brief Owl rally was quelled by a Maddie Breeland (So., Fairfax, Va.) kill to seal the victory for Emerson.

Zaniboni led the Lions with 22 kills while Connoly had 15. Rutan had 27 digs for Emerson while both Connolly and Zaniboni had 18 each. Katie Bailey (So., Calabasas, Calif.) and Drumright combined for 50 assists.

Emerson (13-3) will travel to Bowdoin College for its next match. First serve for the contest is slated for 6:00pm on Friday.

Lions Shut Out Cadets IN GNAC Tilt

Match boxscore

Emerson Women's volleyball Defeats JWU for First time Ever

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Lions Roar to Win Over Mustangs

Match boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. -- Emerson College opened the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's volleyball season with a convincing 3-0 victory over Mount Ida College at Emerson's Brown-Plofker Gym. The Lions took the contest by scores of 25-8. 25-11 and 25-20.

The Lions took control of the first set early racing out to a 10-5 lead. At 12-6, Erin Connolly (Sr., Quincy, Mass.) served five straight points for the Lions. Following an exchange of serves, Katie Bailey (So., Calabasas, Calif.) drilled four consecutive service aces to give Emerson a 22-7 edge. Set point came on a block by the Lions' Lauren Zaniboni (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) and Jess Drumright (So., San Francisco, Calif.).

The second set saw Emerson stake itself to a 13-8 lead. Zaniboni then served seven consecutive points. Following an exchange of rotations, a pair of kills by Connolly and one each by Kelsey Scanlon (FY, Sonoma, Calif.) and Zaniboni closed out the set.

The third set was close throughout with Mount Ida holding a 17-14 lead. Emerson pulled even on a kill by Scanlon and took an 18-17 lead on a Zanaboni attack, followed by a second slam by the middle hitter. Scanlon served out the match with a service ace and an kill error by Mount Ida.

Emerson ran its record to 10-3, and is 1-0 in the GNAC. Mount Ida is 4-7 and 0-3 in GNAC competition.

Emerson's next match is Saturday at Norwich University in another GNAC tilt.

Emerson beats Framingham 3-0

Match boxscore

Emerson defeats Newbury 3-0

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Babson Stages Spectacular Rally To Edge Emerson, 3-2

From Babson College Sports Information

BABSON PARK, Mass. – The Babson College women’s volleyball team staged a thrilling comeback after losing to first two sets en route to a 3-2 victory over visiting Emerson College in a spectacularly played match at Staake Gymnasium on Thursday night. The Beavers, who prevailed by set scores of 18-25, 19-25, 25-21, 27-25, 15-10, improved to 4-5 on the season, while the Lions dipped to 7-3 with the heartbreaking loss.

Emerson controlled the match early on thanks to the superb play of senior Erin Connolly (Quincy, Mass.) and junior Lauren Zaniboni (San Diego, Calif.), as the Lions took the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-19. After the Beavers battled back to take the third set, 25-18, Emerson appeared to have the match in hand when the visitors mounted a 24-18 lead in set four. However, Babson scored six straight points, including five on the service of junior Nina Milovanovic, to even the score at 24-24, and after fighting off another match point at 25-24, the Beavers rattled off three points in a row to claim the amazing 27-25 win.

Emerson jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the fifth and final set, but Babson responded with a 7-0 run that was fueled by two kills from sophomore Meg Flaherty and an ace from sophomore Alexa Untermann. The Beavers later increased their lead to five at 10-5, but this time it was the Lions who rallied, taking five straight points to even things up at 10-10. That would prove to be the visitors’ final surge of the night, however, as Babson rattled off five consecutive points to clinch the set and the match. First-years Cathy Tinker and Kathleen Lynch combined for a huge block that made it 13-10 during the run, and Milovanovic finished off the victory with a kill on match point.

Flaherty finished with a team-high 13 kills and 11 digs in the win for Babson, while Milovanovic added 11 kills, nine digs, and two block assists. Senior captain Caitlin O’Neill chipped in with nine kills and two total blocks, senior captain Becca Rydzik (Beacon Falls, Conn.) matched Flaherty with a team-best 11 digs, and Lynch added 31 assists. In addition to a clutch diving save to keep a rally alive in the fifth set, Untermann recorded three aces and three block assists for the Beavers, and Tinker led the squad with five total blocks to go with four kills.

For Emerson, Zaniboni led the way with match-highs of 18 kills and 21 digs, while Connolly notched 11 kills. Junior libero Sara Rutan (Santa Clarita, Calif.) chipped in with 20 digs, and sophomore Jessica Drumright (San Francisco, Calif.) added 21 assists.

Emerson will next host Framingham State College and Newbury College in a tri-match Saturday, September 19 at the Brown-Plofker Gym. The first match is set for 10:00am.

Lady Jeffs Topple Lions in three

Match boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. -- Emerson College dropped its first home volleyball match of the season as the Lions lost to Amherst in three sets by scores of 25-19, 25-21, and 25-20.  The loss drops the Lions to 7-2 on the season, 4-1 in the confines of Emerson's Brown-Plofker Gym.

Emerson kept the match close throughout despite falling behind early in the first set by an 11-2 margin.  The Lions clawed back to within two points but could never tie the match.  The second set was more of the same with Amherst moving out to a slim early lead and maintaining the advantage throughout the set.

Emerson started strongly in the third set and led throughout, holding an 18-15 advantage.  Amherst stormed back to take 10 of the next 12 points and secure the match.

Lauren Zaniboni (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) led Emerson with 11 kills and teammate Erin Connolly (Sr., Quincy, Mass.) was right behind with 10.  Katie Bailey (So., Calabasas, Calif.) and Jess Drumright (So., San Francisco, Calif.) combined for 30 assists on the Lions 32 kills.  Sara Rutan (Jr., Santa Clarita, Calif.) with 19, and Zaniboni with 10 were in double figures in digs.

Emerson next travels to Babson College for a 7:00pm start on Thursday, September 17 at 7:00pm.

Emerson shutout string reaches three in Days Inn Tournament

Match boxscore

Lions post second shutout in Days Inn Tourney

Match boxscore

Emerson takes second in Days Inn Tournament

Match boxscore

PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- Plymouth State University won the battle of 7-0 teams to remain undefeated and take the championship of the Days Inn of Campton Invitational Volleyball Tournament with a 3-0 sweep of Emerson College. The panthers took the title by scores of 25-21, 25-7, 25-22.

Emerson's Maddie Breeland (So., Fairfax, VA) was named to the all-tournament team.

Emerson begins Days Inn of Campton tourney with shutout of Lesley

Match boxscore

Emerson rolls over FDU Florham

Match boxscore

BOSTON, Mass.-- Emerson College middle hitter Lauren Zaniboni (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) had a near perfect match as she connected on 14 of 15 kill attempts to lead Emerson to a 3-0 victory over FDU Florham in the Lions' third game in the Emerson Wentworth Invitational Tournament. The Lions took the three games over the previously unbeaten Devils by scores of 25-10, 25-13, and 25-20.

Lions complete perfect tournament with 3-1 victory over Salve

Match boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. -- All-Tournament selection Lauren Zaniboni (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) made sure Emerson had an enjoyable first weekend as the middle hitter led the Lions to a 3-1 victory over Salve Regina university and a perfect 4-0 record in the Emerson/Wentworth Invitational Tournament. Emerson and Plymouth State University were the only two teams in the nine team tournament to finish with 4-0 records.

The Lions defeated Salve by counts of 25-21, 25-27, 29-27, and 25-14. Zaniboni drilled home 21 kills in 45 attempts in the match. Teammates Erin Connolly (Sr., North Quincy, Mass.) and Kelsey Scanlon (FY, Sonoma, Calif.) were also in double figures with 12 and 11 kills respectively.

Emerson will put its perfect record on the line next weekend as the Loins travel to the Days Inn of Campton tournament at Plymouth State University.

Lions Shut out continentals

Match boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. – Emerson College rode a strong hitting game to take its second victory and reaming unbeaten in the Emerson/Wentworth Invitational Tournament as the Lions (2-0) dominated Hamilton College by scores of 25-14, 25-15, 25-14.

Lauren Zaniboni (Jr., San Diego, Calif) led the Lion attack connecting on 14 of 15 kill attempts with no errors. As a team, Emerson racked up a .519 hitting percentage. Katie Bailey (So., Calabasas, Calif.) and Jessica Drumright (So., San Francisco, Calif.) combined for 23 assists, while Sara Rutan (Jr., Santa Claria, Calif.) was in double figures with 11 digs.

Lions Open with Squeaker

Game boxscore

BOSTON, Mass. -- Emerson College started its 2009 women's volleyball season with a tight 3-2 victory over Ramapo College in the first round of the Emerson/Wentworth Invitational Tournament. The Lions won by scores of 25-23, 25-18, 24-26, 23-25, 15-7.

Emerson had three players in double figures in kills with Lauren Zaniboni (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) leading the way with 13. Kelsey Scanlon (FY, Sonoma, Calif.) was right behind with a dozen, while Erin Connolly (Sr., North Quincy, Mass.) added 10. Kate Bailey (So., Calabasas, Calif.) and Jess Drumright (So., San Francisco, Calif.) combined for 46 of the Lions' 49 assists. Sara Rutan (Jr., Santa Clarita, Calif.) was the top Lion with 21 digs while Zaniboni added 20.

Emerson will face Hamilton College in its second match of the tournament. Hamilton was a 2-3 loser to Ramapo in the second match of the day.

JWU Women’s Volleyball Advances To GNAC Finals With 3-2 Win Over Emerson

From Johnson & Wales University Sports Information - 11/6/09

Providence, R.I. – The No. 2 seeded Johnson & Wales women’s volleyball team posted a thrilling 3-2 victory against No. 3 seed Emerson in the semifinals of the 2008 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship at the Harborside RAC on Thursday night.  With the win the Wildcats have advanced to the GNAC finals where they will take on top-seeded Rivier on Saturday afternoon. 

Emerson took the first game by a score of 25-23 before JWU rallied to take a 25-17 win in game two, knotting the match at 1-1.  The visiting Lions took the 2-1 advantage after a 25-16 victory in the third game of the evening with the Wildcats tying the contest at 2-2 with a 25-21 win in the fourth game.  In the fifth and deciding game, JWU jumped out to an early 8-5 lead and then took the 15-9 win to seal the match.

Johnson & Wales junior Cathy Bravo (Tao Baja, Puerto Rico) had a double-double with 18 kills and 18 digs while freshman Abbey Reedy (Cincinnati, Ohio) was also in double figures in kills with 1 2for the night.  Sophomore Nikki Balchunas (Brockton, Mass.) tallied nine kills, four digs and three blocks for the Wildcats.  Freshman Brittney Carrier (Southington, Conn.) notched 49 set assists and 20 digs on the evening. 

Emerson was paced by sophomore Lauren Zaniboni (San Diego, Calif.) with a match high 26 kills, 13 digs and six blocks while junior Erin Connolly (North Quincy, Mass.) added a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs for the Lions.  Sophomore Jilisa Rawding (Tewksbury, Mass.) also had a double-double with 33 set assists in the setback.

Johnson & Wales is now 26-12 on the season while Emerson falls to 21-11.  The Wildcats will return to action on Saturday, November 8th when they will travel to Rivier for the GNAC Championship Game, starting at 1:00 p.m.  The winner of the match earns the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.

Lions Roar over Cadets To Advance To GNAC Semis

BOSTON, MASS. – Third-seeded Emerson College (21-10) used a potent hitting attack to roll over sixth-seeded Norwich University (16-8) 3-0 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women’s Volleyball Tournament first round action. The Lions ran off scores of 25-8, 25-9, and 25-16.

Emerson never trailed in the first set as Janna Tonahill (Sr., Redmond, Wash., left) broke a 2-2 tie with a kill and a block. The Cadets were able to stay within reach at 7-4 until Tonahill served four straight points for an 11-4 advantage. The Emerson lead extended to 16-6, causing a Norwich timeout. Coming out of the break, Lauren Zaniboni (So., San Diego, Calif.) served eight straight points to cause another Cadet stoppage. A kill error against Emerson made the score 23-8, but kills by Maddie Breeland (FY., Fairfax, Va.) and Tonahill ended the set.

The second set was similar as Emerson roared out to a 10-0 lead on serves by Sara Rutan (So., Santa Clarita, Calif.). Included in the run were four aces by Rutan. A service error gave Norwich its first point, but Jilisa Rawding (So., Tewksbury, Mass.) served five consecutive points before committing a service error to make the score 15-2. The team traded points the rest of the match giving the Lions a 25-9 victory.

Norwich led the third set 3-2 until a Kristina Ten (So., Horseheads, N.Y.) kill tied the match. Tonahill then served seven straight points highlighted by two aces, and a block and two kills from Zaniboni. The Cadets pulled to within five points before two kills by Zaniboni sandwiched around a blocking error gave the Lions a 12-6 lead. Zaniboni then served three straight points including an ace and Emerson stretched the lead to 16-7. A service error and two attack errors gave the Cadets three straight points, but a kill by Tonahill followed by five service points by Rawding gave Emerson a 22-10 lead Norwich scored it’s last five points on four attack errors and a service error by the Lions, but a Cadet service error closed out the match.

Emerson dominated the offensive statistics in the match with unofficial statistics of 30 kills to just nine for the Cadets. Of the 33 points Norwich scored in the match, 22 came off Emerson attack, service, or blocking errors.

Emerson will play at second seeded Johnson & Wales University on Thursday evening at 7:00pm in the semifinals. Johnson & Wales defeated seventh-seeded Simmons College 3-0 to advance.

EMERSON SETS SCHOOL WIN RECORD IN DEFEAT OF UMASS BOSTON

BOSTON, Mass. -- The Emerson College recorded a school single season record 18th women's volleyball victory as the Lions rallied to down UMass Boston 3-2. The victory upped Emerson's record to 18-9 surpassing the 17 win total of 2007.

In a back and forth affair, the Lions took the first game 25-20. The Lions scored the first three points of the match and cruised to a 10-3 lead. The Beacons rallied to pull to within 15-13, but that is the closest the visitors would get. Emerson went on a three point run to end the game.

The second game saw Emerson rally with four consecutive points to tie the set at 7-7, but kills by Kate White (Jr., Plymouth, Mass.) and Kate McWhorter (Jr., Bakersfield, Calif.), and a ball handling error by the Lions gave UMass Boston a lead it would not relinquish. Emerson was never able to get closer than two points for the rest of the game and lost 20-25.

Game three saw UMass take a 2-1 edge in the match despite Emerson scoring the first four points. UMass Boston scored eight of the next 11 points for an 8-7 advantage. After the game was tied at nine, the Beacons scored the next four points and never looked back for a 25-22 win.

UMass Boston took a quick 4-1 lead in game four but Emerson rallied for a 9-5 lead. Five straight points gave the Beacons the lead and the teams traded points until the game was tied at 16. A kill by Lauren Zaniboni (So., San Diego, Calif.) started the Lions on a 9-2 run to end the game ans send the match to a deciding fifth game.

The Lions took control early in game five scoring the first two points and getting to the crossover with an 8-4 lead. The Beacons came as close as 9-6, but two kills from Zaniboni sparked a 7-2 Emerson run to end the match.

For the Beacons McWhorter had a strong match with 21 kills and 22 digs. White had 10 kills. Emerson's Zaniboni had 18 kills, while Erin Connolly (Jr., North Quincy, Mass.) chipped in with 17, and Maddie Breeland (FY, Fairfax, Va.) had 10.

Emerson next travels to Western New England College on Thursday evening for a 7p.m. start. UMass Boston travels to Rhode Island College for a 10a.m. start Saturday morning.

Springfield Takes Home Volleyball Hall of Fame Championship

NORTHAMPTON, MASS. - In the final day of the Volleyball Hall of Fame Tournament, the Pride of Springfield defeated the Jumbos of Tufts University 3-2 (25-23, 24-26, 20-25, 25-20, 15-11) in a fitting Gold Bracket championship finals.

The Pride were led by Tournament MVP Heather Lively. Finishing in second place was Tufts University, followed by Wellesley which defeated Amherst 3-2 (25-17, 20-25, 25-20, 29-31, 17-15) to round out the tournament's top three finishers.

In the Silver Bracket, Middlebury defeated Gordon 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-11) in the Silver Bracket's championship match. Lindsay Patterson of Middlebury was named the Silver Bracket's MVP. Wheaton defeated Colby 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-20) to claim third place in the bracket.

Emerson College was 2-1 in the tournament losing a first round game to Gordon in the Silver Bracket and then defeating Westfield State college and Bridgewater State College by each by 3-0 counts. Emerson's Erin Connolly (Jr., North Quincy, Mass., left) was named to the All-Tournament team in the Silver Bracket.

Lions take two from GNAC foes in tri-match

BOSTON, MASS. (10/09/08) -- Emerson College (12-7, 5-2 Great Northeast Athletic Conference) edged by Lasell College in three sets to complete a tri-match sweep of GNAC opponents. The Lions defeated Emmanuel College by a 3-1 count in the first match of the evening, while Emmanuel downed Lasell by the same 3-1 count.

Emerson took the first set from Lasell by a 25-23 margin. Of the Lasers 23 points, 18 were directly attributable to Emerson errors. The Lions trailed the match 21-19, but two kills by Lauren Zaniboni (So., San Diego Calif.) tied the set and two service aces by Allie Rosenberg ( Jr., Pomfret, Conn.) gave the Lions a 23-21 lead. Zaniboni answered an Eileen Barrett (FY, Ludlow, Mass.) kill with one of her own and after an Emerson kill error, Danielle Drapeau's (FY, Biddeford, Maine) kill error gave Emerson the win.

In the second set Emerson rolled to a 25-12 victory. Emerson's Erin Connolly (Jr., North Quincy, Mass.) had five kills and a service ace in the set to pace the Lions.

The third set was again close as the Lions rallied at the end to take the victory. Trailing 22-20, Emerson got a kill from Janna Tonahill (Sr., Redmond, Wash.) to pull within one. Drapeau countered with a kill for Lasell, but a ball handling error by the Lasers opened the door for Zaniboni who finished the match with a block and two kills.

In the opener against Emmanuel, The Lions dominated the first set with a 25-12 victory. Emerson roared out to a 10-1 lead and never looked back. Tonahill and Jilisa Rawding (So., Tewksbury, Mass.) each served five consecutive points during the set.

Emmanuel rallied to take the second set by a 25-17 count. The Saints took a 14-7 lead on an Emerson kill error, and stretched the margin to 18-10. The Lions scored seven of the next 11 points, but Emmanuel closed the set on an Emerson service error, two aces and an Emerson kill error.

The Lions controlled the third set from the start breaking out to an 11-4 lead. Emmanuel rallied to close the gap to 12-10 on kills by Rebecca Stanton (So., Quincy, Mass.), Lindsey Parker (Sr., New Bedford, Mass.) and Jenna Ross (So., Centerburg, Ohio), and a Lion ball handling error. Following an Emerson time out, the Lions ran off six straight points for an 18-10 lead. The teams traded the next six points before Tonahill served out the set with two aces and a kill.

Emerson broke out to an 11-3 advantage in the fourth set, and led 19-10 before the Saints rallied with four straight points. A Connolly kill and a service ace from Sara Rutan (So., Santa Clarita, Calif.) upped the lead to 21-14 and forced a Saints' timeout. Emmanuel scored three consecutive points out of the break before kills by Tonahill and Connolly gave the Lions a 23-17 edge. Three Emmanuel points later Zaniboni answered with a kill, an after another Emmanuel point, Zaniboni had the match point kill.

Emerson next plays Wednesday, October 15 at 7:00pm at home in a non-conference match against Gordon College.

Lions Sweep Leopards in Cat fight

BOSTON, MASS. -- Emerson College (11-7) rode the strong play of Erin Connolly (Jr., North Quincy, Mass.) to a 3-0 sweep of the Wentworth Institute of Technology Leopards in a non-conference volleyball match.

The Lions took the first set by a 25-20 tally. The set was close throughout until Emerson scored four consecutive points to take a 19-13 lead. Wentworth rallied with six straight points on the serving of Danielle Banks (Jr, Ellicott City, Md.). Following an Emerson time-out, Lauren Zaniboni (So., San Diego, Calif.) broke Banks serve with a kill, then served four straight points. The set ended on a service error by each team.

The second set was again close early with Emerson holding a 13-12 lead. Three quick points by the Lions resulted in a Wentworth timeout. Coming out of the timeout Wentworth got two kills from Banks to make the score 16-14 Emerson. The Lions then ran off six consecutive points on Zaniboni serves highlighted by two Connolly kills and an ace. The Leopards refused to give in and scored eight of the game's final 11 points, but a Connolly kill ended the rally and gave Emerson a 25-22 win.

The third set was all Emerson. The Lions roared out to a 10-2 lead and never looked back, cruising to a 25-13 win to finish the match. Connolly had six kills in the final set.

Emerson next will play a Great Northeast Athletic Conference tri-match on Thursday against Emmanuel College and Lasell College. The first match begins at 4:00pm.

Lions Sweep out Monks

BOSTON, MASS. (10/4/08) -- Emerson College women's volleyball dominated the first game and then came from behind in the last two to sweep St. Joseph's College in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference match.

The Lions took the first game 25-8 with Erin Connolly (Jr., North Quincy, Mass.), and Maddie Breeland (FY, Fairfax, Va.) each serving seven consecutive points. Two kills by Connolly finished the game.

The Monks led the second game 14-12 before the Lions' Janna Tonahill (Sr., Redmond, Wash.) served out seven straight winners highlighted by two kills by Lauren Zaniboni (So., San Diego, Calif.). Emerson took the game by a 25-16 count.

St. Joe's led 8-6 and 9-7 in the final game before Zaniboni served out eight winners. The Monks rallied to within 14-16 before Jilisa Rawding knocked in six serves in a row. Connolly finished the match with a kill and served out with two aces for the 25-15 win for the Lions.

Lions Sweep Tri-Match with 3-0 win over Framingham

In the nightcap of a tri-match with St. Joseph's College, Emerson defeated the Rams in three sets in non-conference action. Emerson won the first set 25-14. The Lions tore out to a 10-2 lead and never let the Rams get closer than seven points throughout the set.

In the second set, Emerson’s Erin Connolly (Jr., North Quincy, Mass.) scored the Lions’ first five points on four kills and a service ace as the hosts went out to a 7-2 lead. The Rams fought back to within 12-9, but Emerson scored the next five points to take control of the set. The Lions closed the set with a service ace by Sara Rutan (So., Santa Clarita, Calif.) for a 25-15 victory.

Framingham held a 6-5 led in the third set, but seven straight points off the serving of Lauren Zaniboni (So., San Diego, Calif.) highlighted by four kills from Kristina Ten (So, Horseheads, N.Y.) gave the Lions a lead they never relinquished. The final set score was 25-13.

Trinity Volleyball Collects Two Wins in Tri-Match

From Trinity College Sports Information - 9/27/08

HARTFORD, CONN.. - Junior Molly Ullman (Studio City, Calif.) had 28 kills and 16 digs on the day to lead the Trinity College Bantams to wins over the Johnson and Wales University Wildcats and the Emerson College Lions in volleyball action at Ray Oosting Gymnasium. Johnson and Wales defeated Emerson in five games to round out the tri-match. The Bantams improve to 7-5 overall with the wins, the Lions move to 7-6, and the Wildcats are now 7-9 on the year.

Trinity started off with a 25-23 loss in Game 1 to Johnson and Wales, but won the next three games to take the match, 3-1. Sophomore Amanda Poole (Summit, N.J.) had ten kills and ten digs for the Bantams and added another ten kills and eight digs in a 3-0 win later in the afternoon against Emerson.

After Emerson jumped ahead of Johnson and Wales by winning the first game of their match, 25-14, Emerson mounted a comeback, pushing the match to a decisive fifth game. Emerson pulled out Game 4 by a score of 27-25, but fell short in Game 5, dropping the game and match to the Wildcats.

Emerson next plays Tuesday evening at 7:00pm in a key Great Northeast Athletic Conference match-up with Rivier College.

Lions take GNAC win over Mount Ida

From Mount Ida College Sports Information

NEWTON, MASS. (9/23/08) - The Mount Ida College women's volleyball team dropped a 3-1 loss in their first Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) match of the year against Emerson College by scores of 15-25, 18-25, 26-24, and 19-25. The Mustangs would drop to 6-8 overall, 0-1 in conference play while the Lions improved to 7-4, 2-1 in the GNAC.

Mount Ida led by as many as four in the opening of game one up 8-4 on a kill by sophomore Chelsea Darnell (Dublin, OH/Dublin Scioto). The Lions would come roaring back off costly errors by the Mustangs giving the visitors the outright 13-10 advantage on eight straight points. It would be all Emerson from then on, with Mount Ida only scoring two more points, winning 25-15 and gaining the 1-0 match lead.

Game two was again led by the Mustangs up 7-4 on a blocking error by the Lions. The hosts would keep a small distance from the visitors until they crawled back knotting the score at 11-11 off key hitting errors by Mount Ida. Emerson would eventually take over the momentum and pull away to seal the victory winning 25-18 leading the match 2-0.

Game three was a true nail biter; the Mustangs would come out firing, taking the 10-4 advantage capped off on a kill by freshman Rachelle Gilbert (Corunna, IN/Dekalb). Mount Ida would keep a sufficient margin between the squads leading by as many as six. But the Lions would not go quietly, with sophomore Lauren Zaniboni (San Diego, CA/Torrey Pines) displaying her power along with key errors by the Mustangs, cutting the hosts lead to one at 21-20. But Mount Ida kept its composure and finished off game three winning 26-24, making it 2-1 in the match.

It was back and forth in game four with both teams exchanging points, including eight total ties, until the 15-15 mark. The Lions would jump ahead by two at 19-17 on a questionable call by the officials that was re-done, taking all the momentum out of the Mustangs sails. Emerson would leave winning 25-19 along with the 3-1 match victory; their second in conference play on the season.

Emerson's next competition is a tri-match with Johnson & Wales University at Trinity College on Saturday, September 27.

Johnson & Wales Volleyball Sweeps GNAC Tri-Match

Johnson & Wales Volleyball Sweeps GNAC Tri-Match

From Johnson & Wales University Sports Information 9/20/08

Providence, R.I. – The Johnson & Wales University women’s volleyball team notched a pair of victories in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference tri-match at the Harborside Recreation Center on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats defeated Albertus Magnus in the opener by a score of 3-0 (25-7, 25-14, 25-12) and closed out the afternoon with a thrilling 3-2 (19-25, 25-17, 19-25, 25-19, 15-12) win over Emerson. In the other match, Emerson posted a 3-0 (25-9, 25-7, 25-11) win against Albertus Magnus.

In the 3-0 win over Albertus Magnus, junior Ashley Constantino (Marlton, N.J.) recorded a match-high seven kills while freshman Stephanie Andrews (Westmont, Ill.) added five kills and five assists for the Wildcats. Junior Christen Bell (Stratford, Conn.) led the way for Albertus Magnus with two kills, five digs and two set assists.

In the second match of the day, sophomore Kristina Ten (Horseheads, N.Y.) led the way for Emerson with seven kills, eight service aces and five digs while freshman Maddie Breeland (Fairfax, Va.) added six kills and nine digs for the Lions. Freshman Elizabeth Piper (Southington, Conn.) paced Albertus Magnus with four kills and six digs.

The afternoon wrapped up with the Wildcats thrilling 3-2 victory. Junior Catherine Bravo (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) led the way for JWU, registering a double-double with 24 kills and 14 digs while sophomore Nicole Balchunas (Brockton, Mass.) added 10 kills and nine digs. Freshman Brittney Carrier (Southington, Conn.) had 40 set assists and 13 digs in the win for the Wildcats. Senior Janna Tonahill (Redmond, Wash.) led the way for Emerson with 13 kills and three digs while junior Erin Connolly (North Quincy, Mass.) had 13 kills, five digs and two service aces for the Lions.

Johnson & Wales improves to 5-8 overall and a perfect 3-0 record in the GNAC. Emerson is now 6-4 overall, 1-1 in the GNAC while Albertus Magnus falls to 0-7, 0-3 in league play.

Emerson Hitters Star as Lions Capture Plymouth State Tourney

Plymouth, N.H. - Right side hitter Lauren Zaniboni (So., San Diego, Calif.) and middle hitter Erin Connolly (Jr., North Quincy, Mass.) rallied Emerson to the Championship of the Days Inn of Compton Plymouth State University Volleyball Invitational.

After taking the first match of the tournament with a 3-1 victory over Mount Ida College on Friday evening, the Lions lost in three games to UMass Boston in Saturday morning's first match. Emerson won a three game victory over the host school to qualify for the championship match where they again faced UMass Boston. This time the Lions pulled out a grueling five game match by scores of 21-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-11, 15-12.

Connolly Was named tournament MVP and Zaniboni was named to the All-Tournament team. It is the second consecutive week that Zaniboni has made an all-tournament team.

Emerson will next be in action Saturday, September 20 in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference tri-match with Johnson & Wales University and Albertus Magnus College in Providence at 11:00am.

Lions Sweep second day at Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, MASS. -- All-Tournament Team selections Sara Rutan (So., Santa Clarita, Calif.) and Lauren Zaniboni (So., San Diego, Calif.) led Emerson to two wins on Saturday, September 6, at the Springfield College Invitational Volleyball Tournament.

Emerson defeated coach Craig Letourneau's alma mater Rhode Island College in three games by counts of 25-18, 25, 15 and 25-17. The Lions then followed that up with a sweep of SUNY Cobleskill by the scores of 25-15, 25-15, and 25-16.

On Friday Evening, Emerson opened against the host school and dropped a three game match.

Emerson next travels to Amherst College for a 7:00pm match on Wednesday, September 10.