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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's volleyball program celebrated Senior Night on Friday as the Warriors played their final home match of the 2019 campaign at Hammel Court against Northeast Conference (NEC) foe Sacred Heart. Merrimack recognized the careers of seniors
Sydney Buran,
Kylie Chetwynde, Catherine Flaherty and
Rosie Sperduto as part of the pre-match ceremony.
The quartet started in the match that followed as the Warriors hoped to upend the Pioneers; the team held leads midway through both the first and second frames only to see Sacred Heart recover. The match ended in three frames as the program shifted its attention to St. Francis Brooklyn where Merrimack will conclude its season tomorrow against the Terriers in New York.
The Basics
Score: Sacred Heart 3,
Merrimack 0 (25-17 | 25-14 | 25-5)
Records: Merrimack (1-23, 0-15 NEC) | Sacred Heart (17-11, 12-3 NEC)
Location: North Andover, Mass. | Hammel Court
Set Breakdown:
- Merrimack answered Sacred Heart's 4-1 start to the match with a 4-0 run of its own. Flaherty and Buran each recorded kills during the run. The squads traded points for there before sophomore Brooke Leestma hit a kill that gave Merrimack a 12-11 edge. Sacred Heart used an 8-1 run for there that turned the frame in its favor. Kills from Flaherty, sophomore Natasha Vallis and freshman Taylor Sawyer allowed Merrimack to pull within five, 22-17, but the Pioneers won three straight points to win the set
- The Warriors surged forward in the second set, opening a 9-4 advantage that featured a 4-0 run at the back end of that stretch. Freshman Luna Colozzo notched two kills with Sperduto hit an ace to highlight the stretch. Sacred Heart climbed back into the set, taking a 13-11 lead. After the Warriors got one point back, the Pioneers won nine straight points as part of a 12-2 run to close the set and move within one more triumph to take the match
- Sophomore Kara Haase entered the match and recorded kills for Merrimack's first two points of the third set. Sawyer added one of her own to keep Merrimack within one point, 5-4. The Pioneers went ahead from there, however, winning the NEC match in three sets
Notes & Notables
- Merrimack's seniors filled the Warriors' box score. Flaherty tied for the team lead with five kills. Buran led the team with a season-best 13 assists while Sperduto added eight helpers of her own. Chetwydne contributed a career-best five digs
- Sawyer was Merrimack's top overall hitter, totaling five kills on 13 attacks for a .231 hitting percentage
- Sperduto had the team's lone ace of the evening while Sawyer and classmate Emily Adams notched two block assists each
Up Next:
The Warriors play their season finale tomorrow at St. Francis Brooklyn at 4 p.m.
