QUINCY, Mass. – Simmons volleyball defeated the Eastern Nazarene Lions in a non-conference match-up Saturday morning in front of students and alumni who were in town for Homecoming Weekend. The Sharks won the match in four sets, (15-25, 16-25, 31-29, 10-25) as the Lions, who started the season hot, have dropped their last eight contests, struggled to find their offensive flow.

In sets one and two, Simmons came out strong, taking advantage of ENC's inconsistent offense. Set three proved to be a more competitive contest, as the Lions and Sharks battled back and forth in an exciting 31-29 victory for the Lions. But the Sharks took the wind out of the Eastern Nazarene's sails in set four, blowing the Lions away for the win 25-10.

Sharks senior Meaghan Flynn (Laguna Beach, Calif.) was outstanding for Simmons, tallying 17 kills and nine digs. Junior setter, Rachel Dufault (Westport, Mass.) posted 40 assists and led the defense with 20 digs. Cayla Clinkscale was stellar on offense for the Lions, racking up nine kills while only making two attacking errors on the day. Birdina Tuiava led the Lions in the assist column with 13. Defensively, Kori Sorensen led the team at libero with 12 digs.

With the win, the Sharks improve to 16-5 overall. Simmons returns home to play GNAC opponent Emmanuel on October 18th. The match will begin at 7:00 p.m. and is part of the Sharks "Dig Pink" event in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month on behalf of the American Cancer Society. Wear pink and show the Sharks your support on Tuesday!