BOSTON, Mass. -- First year Krissy Lloyd (Tampa, Fla.) put down 11 kills to help the Simmons University Volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-20, 17-25, 25-18, 25-19) victory over cross-street rival Emmanuel College (Mass.) this evening in Great Northeast Athletic Conference play on Andy Yosinoff Court in the Jean Yawkey Center in Boston, Mass. The Sharks improve to 8-10 overall and 4-3 in league play, while the Saints fall to 7-10 and 4-3.
Simmons fired 15 aces and got up for eight total blocks, while holding Emmanuel to a .133 hitting percentage.
In the opening set, the Saints led midway through the action at 15-13 before the Sharks used a 7-0 run behind the service game of sophomore setter Riley Roberge (Peoria, Ariz.) to take control of the frame with a 20-15 lead en route to a 25-20 win.
Emmanuel tied the match up with a 25-17 second set win, holding Simmons to a .000 hitting percentage while getting three kills and six digs from senior outside hitter Casey Sheehan (Medway, Mass.) in the set.
Simmons responded with a 12-4 run to open the third set, powered by strong play at the net by first year middle blocker Amanda Fortune (Round Rock, Texas) and Roberge to cruise to a 25-18 win and take a 2-1 lead into the fourth frame.
After briefly trailing 2-1, the Sharks took the lead for good on a kill by Lloyd, hitting an impressive .308 as a team in the frame to earn the 25-19 win to take the match, 3-1.
Lloyd owned a .241 hitting percentage to go with three digs and a pair of block assists for Simmons. Fortune racked up a match-high 14 points on six kills, six aces and four assisted blocks and maintained a .462 hitting percentage. Sophomore setter Faith Gray-Williams (Las Vegas, Nev.) spiked for nine kills, set for 13 assists, scooped up four digs and fired a pair of aces. First year Reilly Coombs (Deland, Fla.) registered eight kills and 17 digs, while sophomore libero Julia Fusco (Beverly, Mass.) got down for 17 digs. Junior setter Kenna McCarthy (Shelter Island, N.Y.) set for 18 assists and made a block assist.
EC senior Mary Shelow (Miami, Fla.) led all players with 13 kills while, Sheehan ended the match with a team-high 16 digs to go along with six kills.
The Sharks are back on the court tomorrow, heading to Babson Park, Mass. to take on Babson College at 7:00 p.m., while Emmanuel returns to action tomorrow evening, playing host to Rivier University at 7:00 p.m.