Links: Box Score
Video: Highlights |
Sofia Basauri Comments
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Facing a 2-1 deficit on a rare Saturday evening home match, the Merrimack College women's volleyball program did not let the visiting Saint Anselm Hawks walk away from Hammel Court with a Northeast-10 Conference win. The Warriors won the fourth set, 25-20, and escaped an early 5-2 hole in the final frame to rally and win, 15-12, claiming a NE10 triumph over their local rivals. Senior
Sofia Basauri led the way with a career-best 19 kills, helping Merrimack snap a five-match losing skid against Saint Anselm.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 3 ,Saint Anselm 2 (
25-21 | 22-25 | 25-27 |
25-20 | 15-12)
Records: Merrimack (4-12, 2-2 NE10) | Saint Anselm (9-7, 1-3 NE10)
Location: Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass.
Set Breakdown
- A 5-0 run after dropping the first point of the opening set paved the way for Merrimack to take leads of 11-4 and 19-11 in the set. Holding a 21-13 advantage, the Hawks scored four unanswered points to cut Merrimack's lead in half, but the Warriors were able to exchange points with their visitors from there to come away with a 25-21 win
- Merrimac used a 4-0 spurt to break a 4-4 deadlock early in the second game. Three points for senior Katelynn Marr extended Merrimack's advantage to five, 16-11, but the Hawks mounted a comeback from there. Saint Anselm won 11 of the next 15 points to secure a 22-20 advantage, only to see Merrimack win back-to-back points to tie the frame. The visitors recovered, ending the set on a 3-0 stretch to even the match
- A momentum-swinging third set saw Merrimack dig themselves out of an early hole, and take a 16-14 lead after points for junior Catherine Flaherty and Basauri. Later in the set, the foes traded 4-0 runs that concluded with Merrimack owning a 23-21 advantage. The Warriors had three cracks at a set point, but Saint Anselm staved off each one to bring the frame to a 25-25 deadlock. The visitors won each of the next two points, 27-25, to move within a set of the match
- Freshman Kara Haase came off the bench to start the fourth, and recorded five of Merrimack's first six points including three straight aces that garnered the Warriors a 6-1 lead. The Warriors never trailed in the fourth frame, with Haase fittingly ending the set with a kill to make it a 25-20 final, and sending the night to a fifth and final set
- The Hawks started off strong in the finale, opening a 5-2 lead. The finale was tied on five occasions, including at 8-all, 10-all and 11-all as neither team could pull away. Merrimack was the one who finally did, ending the set on a 4-1 spurt that ended with Marr's season-high setting 10th kill of the evening
Top Performers
- Basauri's effort stood out among career evenings for several Warriors. The senior established a new career best with a match-high 19 kills, which came on 38 attacks. The team captain hit at a .342 clip, only committing six errors
- The Beaverton, Ore. native also added a season-high 10 digs for her first double-double of the year
- Flaherty (14) and Marr (10) joined Basauri in double figures in kills. The former committed only two errors for a .364 hitting percentage, while the latter set a career high with five aces
- Junior Sydney Buran dished out a career-best 47 assists, obliterating her previous career high by 21 helpers
- Senior Amanda Cain led the defensive effort with a match-high 19 digs. Marr's night also included a career-high 17 digs, and Flaherty added 15 as both outside hitters doubled up on the evening
Notes and Notables
- Merrimack beat Saint Anselm for the first time since Oct. 8, 2015 – which was a three-set win at Hammel Court
- The Warriors picked up their second five-set win of the first, the first year with multiple five-set triumphs for the program since 2016
- The team posted a .241 hitting percentage, which registered as a season high and the second highest over the last two years
Up Next
The Warriors will next be in action on Tuesday night when Merrimack heads to Bentley for a 7 p.m. match at the Dana Center in Waltham, Mass.
