BOSTON – Simmons volleyball (19-7, 13-0 GNAC) cruised to a 3-0 sweep of neighborhood rival, Emmanuel College (15-9, 8-5 GNAC) in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action on Wednesday evening.

HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1: Simmons 25, Emmanuel 15
The Sharks came out slow allowing the Saints to take a 3-1 lead, but it quickly evaporated. Senior outside hitter Claire Conners, who was flawless from the floor ignited a 9-0 run with back-to-back kills to take a 9-3. And they never looked back. 

Conners was nearly perfect, tallying six kills on nine attempts for a .667 attack percentage, while also notching a block assist. Graduate senior Chelsea Simmons paced the offense with seven assists in addition to notching four kills on seven attempts.

SET 2: Simmons 25, Emmanuel 11
Simmons kept their momentum rolling into the second set and came out with a 25-11 win to take the two-match lead. First-year outside hitter Hannah Pridgeon led the charge hitting .571 with four kills on seven attempts, while Conners remained steady on both offense and defense. Offensively, Conners followed up with three kills and, defensively, recorded another block assist, alongside junior Meghan Doxsee. 

SET 3: Simmons 25, Emmanuel 12
Hitting a staggering .625 in the final set, Conners helped the Sharks close the door on the Saints, claiming the third set, 25-12. Fellow senior outside hitter Jayla Parnell followed up Conners' five kills with four kills of her own, while Pridgeon and sophomore Kate Petrosso added three.

SIMMONS HIGHLIGHTS

• Senior outside hitter Claire Conners posted a .519 attack percentage on the evening, leading the Sharks with 14 kills on 27 attempts and zero errors.
• Graduate senior Chelsea Simmons notched her 12th double-double of the season, registering 21 assists and 12 digs.
• Junior middle blocker Meghan Doxsee continued to be strong at the net tallying three block assists.
• First-year outside hitter Hannah Pridgeon hit .412 with nine kills on 17 attempts and just two errors.

UP NEXT
Simmons returns to the court on Saturday, November 4 when they close out the regular season hosting Johnson & Wales University (11 a.m.) and the University of St. Joseph's (Conn.) (3 p.m.).