Duke, Fredrickson Lead Volleyball over St. Joseph, 3-0, in GNAC Opener

BOSTON, Mass. ? Junior outside hitter Cailin Fredrickson (Columbia, Md.) posted her third double-double of the season with a match-high 15 kills and 12 digs and junior setter Andalyn Duke (Litchfield Park, Ariz.) registered 32 assists to lead the Simmons College women?s volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-23) Great Northeast Athletic Conference victory over visiting University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) this afternoon at Moore Gymnasium in Boston, Mass.

BOSTON, Mass. – Junior outside hitter Cailin Fredrickson (Columbia, Md.) posted her third double-double of the season with a match-high 15 kills and 12 digs and junior setter Andalyn Duke (Litchfield Park, Ariz.) registered 32 assists to lead the Simmons College women's volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-23) Great Northeast Athletic Conference victory over visiting University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) this afternoon at Moore Gymnasium in Boston, Mass. The Sharks have won four of their last five matches and improve to 4-2 on the season, including 1-0 in league play, while the Blue Jays fall to 2-3 and 0-1. 

Fredrickson hit .156 for the match and added three aces and a block assist to her day for Simmons, while Duke averaged double-digits per set with 32 assists to go with eight digs. Sophomore outside hitter Sarah Woodward (Deerfield, Mass.) spiked for 12 kills and added four digs and an ace. Junior libero Kat Guillotte (New Bedford, Mass.) anchored the defense with 16 digs, while sophomore defensive specialist Susan Wilson (Winchester, Mass.) provided a spark off the bench with four service aces for the home team. 

Fredrickson Interview

First year middle hitter Sarah Lipinski (Farmington, Conn.) paced Saint Joseph with seven kills and a .217 hitting mark, while picking up seven digs and firing an ace. Junior outside hitter Tiffany Mapusaga (Waianae, Hawaii) chipped in with six kills and a match-best 17 digs in addition to a service ace. First year setter Myranda Williams (Seymour, Conn.) set for 20 assists and scooped up seven digs. 

The teams were separated by no more than four points throughout most of the opening set and the Sharks held a slim 18-17 edge, before ripping off four straight points on Wilson's service, which included a pair of aces, to take a 22-17 margin. Simmons maintained its lead to take the set. 

The teams were tight again in the second frame as the Blue Jays owned a 13-12 lead, before the Sharks went on a 9-3 run to take a 21-16 lead. Woodward smashed two of her four kills in the set during the stretch for Simmons. The teams traded points before sophomore Amber Peterson (Las Vegas, Nev.) put down a pair of kills and Woodward served up set point with an ace to give the Sharks a 2-0 lead.   

In the final set, Lipinski recorded one of her four kills in the frame to give Saint Joseph a 7-4 lead. The teams played within two points of each other for the remainder of the set and were deadlocked at 22-all, before consecutive kills from junior middle hitter Abby Hart (Westfield, Mass.) and Fredrickson, respectively, gave the Sharks the victory. 

Simmons returns to the court on Thursday, September 17 when it travels to Weston, Mass. to take on Regis College at 7:00 p.m., while the Blue Jays play again on September 16 when they host Mitchell College at 7:00 p.m.