Links: Box Score

NEW HAVEN, Conn.  – The Merrimack College women's volleyball program played its first of consecutive Northeast-10 Conference road matches on Friday evening against Southern Connecticut State University, falling to the Owls by a 3-0 margin from Pelz Gymnasium in New Haven, Conn.  

The Basics
Score: Southern Conn. 3, Merrimack 0 (25-13, 25-14, 25-22)
Records: Merrimack (4-16, 1-5 NE10) | Southern Conn. (18-5, 6-3 NE10)
Location: Pelz Gymnasium | New Haven, Conn.  

Set Breakdown

• Set 1: The Warriors and Owls took seven points apiece to start the match, with Merrimack's points featuring kills from senior captains Mary Kate McCarroll (Harrison, Ohio) and Christina Nye (Plaistow, N.H.) along with sophomore setter Rosie Sperduto (Brentwood, Tenn.). From there, the Owls embarked on a 9-1 stretch that gave the hosts a 16-8 lead and forced a Warriors' timeout. The Navy and Gold clawed back within five, 17-12, but the Owls won eight of the final nine points to take the opener, 25-13
• Set 2: Early leads of 7-2 and 15-7 enabled Southern Connecticut to grasp control of the middle frame. The Warriors used a 4-0 run featuring blocks from sophomore Catherine Flaherty (North Andover, Mass.) and junior Sofia Basauri (Beaverton, Ore.) to gain momentum back, but a game-closing 6-2 run turned a 19-12 set into a 25-14 victory for the Owls
• Set 3: Neither team led by more than five points in the third, with Merrimack fighting to extend the match. The Owls built a 9-4 lead, but the Warriors flipped the script via a 9-4 run of their own to tie the game, 13-13, on a service ace for McCarroll. The Navy and Gold took a 17-16 lead on a block from Flaherty and Sperduto, but the Owls didn't let Merrimack extend its advantage. The set featured nine ties, with the final one occurring at 21-all, but Southern won four of the final five points to claim the match, 25-22

Team Leaders (MC // SCSU)

• Kills: Sofia Basauri (7) // Leanna Jadus (13)
• Aces: Mary Kate McCarroll (3) // Gabriela Vazquez (2)
• Blocks: Catherine Flaherty/McCarroll (2) // Three Tied (3)
• Assists: Rosie Sperduto (15) // Alexandria Jurgens (21)
• Digs: McCarroll (9) // Jadus (12)

Notes & Notables

• McCarroll led all players with three aces, moving into fourth in the NE10 in aces-per-set (0.48)
• Basauri fell one dig shy of her season high (10), while she now has at least seven kills in four of her last five matches

Up Next
It will be a quick turnaround for the Warriors as Merrimack heads to Worcester, Mass. tomorrow for a NE10 date with Assumption College at 12 p.m. from Laska Gymnasium.