BOSTON, Mass. – First year middle hitter Emmee Ashby (Payson, Ariz.) put away 14 kills and served up a pair of aces to lead the Simmons College women's volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-18, 20-25, 25-20, 25-23) victory over visiting Norwich University this evening in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Tournament Quarterfinals at Moore Gymnasium in Boston, Mass.

The Sharks have won nine of their last 10 matches and improve to 12-14 on the season, while the Cadets finish their season at 13-15. Simmons advances to the GNAC Semifinals on Thursday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m. in Nashua, N.H. to face second-seeded Rivier University, which was a 3-0 winner over Anna Maria College tonight. 

The Sharks' win vaults them into the GNAC semis for the fourth straight year. 

Simmons took a 9-6 lead in the first set, fueled by four kills from Ashby. Norwich came back with a 5-1 run to take an 11-10 lead, before the Sharks answered with seven of the next nine points to take a 17-13 cushion. Simmons extended its lead to 23-15, before winning the set, 25-18. 

The teams were tied at 8-8 in the second set, before the Sharks put together a 7-2 spurt to take a 15-10 advantage. The home team looked in control, but the Cadets marched back with a 10-2 stretch, including seven straight points during first year outside hitter Alma Turpin's (Sterling, Va.) service, to take a 20-17 lead. Senior outside hitter Alex Palmer (South Windsor, Conn.) contributed to the run with three kills for Norwich. Simmons later pulled to within 21-19, but the Cadets scored four of the final five points, including the set-deciding kill from Palmer to tie the match at 1-1. 

The Sharks jumped out to an early 6-2 lead in the third frame, but the visitors shot back with a 7-1 burst to take a 9-7 margin. Simmons put together its most impressive run of the night, scoring 14 of the next 17 points, paced by a pair of kills and an ace from Ashby, to take a commanding 21-12 cushion. The Sharks held set point at 24-14, but Norwich wouldn't go down without a fight, reeling off six straight points, including four of Palmer's match-high 17 kills on Turpin's service. Simmons held on for the 25-20 win. 

The fourth set saw the Cadets take an 11-9 lead midway through the frame, before the Sharks went on a 9-3 run with sophomore outside hitter Cailin Fredrickson (Columbia, Md.) chipping in with a pair of kills to help Simmons take an 18-14 lead. The Sharks later maintained a 24-18 margin, but five unanswered points, including a kill from Turpin, pulled Norwich to within 24-23. A setting error gave Simmons the set and match win. 

Ashby hit .206 for the match and added three digs and three total blocks, while Fredrickson finished with seven kills on a .263 hitting mark to go with a pair of digs for the Sharks. First year outside hitter Amber Peterson (Las Vegas, Nev.) made the most of the two sets she played, spiking for six kills on a .308 hitting rate in addition to picking up a pair of digs. Sophomore libero Alex Itasaka (Bradford, Mass.) led the defense with 18 digs to go with a pair of aces, while junior defensive specialist Chanel Thomas (Phoenix, Ariz.) got down for 15 digs. Sophomore setter Andalyn Duke (Litchfield Park, Ariz.) contributed on both sides of the net, setting for 34 assists, putting away a pair of kills, firing an ace and picking up 12 digs. 

Palmer hit .250 for the match and added 14 digs to post a double-double for the Cadets in addition to a pair of aces and a block assist. Senior outside hitter Kelsey Mancini (Lynnfield, Mass.) chipped in with nine kills and assisted on a block, while senior Corinne Baita (Rochester, N.H.) wrapped up her career with 23 assists, four kills, an ace, a block assist and a match-high 19 digs. Turpin finished the night with six kills, three aces, 13 digs and a pair of blocks.