| Matchup |
Merrimack (3-9) vs.
Southern New Hampshire (2-7) |
| Date/Time |
Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018 (7 p.m.) |
| Venue |
Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass. |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats | Video |
| Social |
Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – On the heels of its first five-set victory at Hammel Court in nearly four years, the Merrimack College women's volleyball program hopes to carry that momentum in Thursday night's tilt against Southern New Hampshire. The non-conference affair begins at 7 p.m. from Hammel Court.
Last Time Out:
- Merrimack needed to go the length of the match to top Franklin Pierce on Saturday, but the Warriors claimed a 3-2 win in their home opener at Hammel Court, which also gave the hosts their first Northeast-10 Conference win of the season
- The Warriors won the first two sets, but then conceded the next two to their visitors. The fifth set was squared at seven-all, but a 5-1 run, which started with a kill by senior Sofia Basauri, gave Merrimack the advantage it needed
- Junior Catherine Flaherty paced the offense with team highs in kills (14) and attacks (44). She only committed four errors on the evening to post a .227 hitting percentage, and added 13 digs for her second double-double of the season
- Classmate Sydney Buran enjoyed her best career match. Stepping into the setter position midway through the third set, the Cohoes, N.Y. native registered a career-high 26 digs and a career-best 11 digs for her first-ever double-double
- Senior Amanda Cain led the way with 21 digs, her third-ever match with at least 20. She also added a career-best four aces, which was only topped by a career-high five for freshman Brooke Leestma
Mack Facts:
- Tuesday marked the first five-set match at Hammel Court in nearly two years to the day. Merrimack and East Stroudsburg University played a five-set tilt on Sept. 16, 2016 to kick start the Merrimack Invitational
- The victory was Merrimack's first at home in five sets since Nov. 8, 2014 against Adelphi
- The Warriors snapped a three-match losing skid to Franklin Pierce, picking up their first win since October of 2014
- Freshman Sophie Meyers led Merrimack in hitting percentage with nine kills on 18 attacks with only three errors, vaulting in the top 10 in the league in hitting (.282)
- Cain sits in 11th in the NE10 in digs per set (3.56), which is on pace to be a career best
Inside the Series:
- Merrimack and SNHU have split the last six meetings dating back to 2015-16. The Warriors and Penmen's NE10 meeting will come later in October
- Prior to the Penmen taking the last three meetings, the Warriors had won six of the previous seven dating back to 2013-14
Meet the Opposition:
| Merrimack (3-9) |
Category |
SNHU (2-7) |
| 9.64 |
Kills Per Set |
10.19 |
| 8.85 |
Assists Per Set |
9.48 |
| 14.38 |
Digs Per Set |
17.16 |
| Catherine Flaherty (94) |
Kills Leader |
Irem Bat (82) |
| Rosie Sperduto (240) |
Assists Leader |
Jessica Dillon (148) |
| Amanda Cain (139) |
Digs Leader |
Shaira Sanabria (132) |
| Sophie Meyers (29.0) |
Blocks Leader |
Ramona Fontaine (25.0) |
| Brooke Leestma (12) |
Service Aces Leader |
Sanabria (15) |
Up Next:
The Warriors host the College of Saint Rose at 1 p.m. on Saturday in another non-league tilt from Hammel Court.
