GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - The Southern Connecticut State University volleyball team defeated Saint Anselm, 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-21, 25-23), in the Northeast 10 Conference Championship Semifinals at Adelphi University. With the win, the Owls advance to the NE10 Championship match for the second-straight year where they'll face American International on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 5 p.m.
Leanna Jadus (Long Beach, Calif.) led the Owls with 19 kills as well as seven digs as well as three service aces while Alyssa Gage (Beverly HIlls, Fla.) turned in a double-double with 18 kills and 17 digs. Gabriela Vazquez (Meriden, Conn.) had 11 kills, seven digs and three aces while Jillian Chambers (Shelby Township, Mich.) had five kills and 18 digs. Freshman setter Kailyn O'Neal (Katy, Texas) had a career-best 48 assists, coming on 58 SCSU kills.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1: Saint Anselm 25, Southern Connecticut 22: Jadus paced the Owls with six kills on SCSU's 13 kills for the first set while O'Neal had 10 assists. The Owls jumped out to an early lead, but in a set that featured back-and-forth play and a flurry of lead changes, the Howks overcame a 19-16 SCSU lead with a 9-3 run to jump out to a 1-0 lead.
Set 2: Southern Connecticut 25, Saint Anselm 20: Gage totals seven kills in the second set, to reach nine through two sets, to lead the Owls in a 25-20 win in the second set. O'Neal registered 13 assists in the second set and stood at 23 for the match heading into the third set.
Set. 3: Southern Connecticut 25, Saint Anselm 21: Both teams traded points before the Owls, with a 17-16 lead, used a 7-3 run to take a 24-19 lead, highlighted by three kills from Kirstin Colwell and one from Jillian Chambers. Gage finished the Hawks off with her 15th kill of the game in the third frame.
Set 4: Southern Connecticut 25, Saint Anselm 23: The Owls capped off a back-and-forth battle with a 4-1 run to close-out a 25-23 final set victory.
NOTES
- The Owls win was their sixth-straight overall and ninth-consecutive victory against a NE10 opponent.
- Gage's double-double is her second-straight as well as her 10th in her last 11 games.
- Jadus now has back-to-back games with double-digit kills while her 18 kills are also the third-most this season.
- O'Neal paced the Owls' offense, recording a career-best and season-high 48 assists on 58 Owls kills in the win.
- The Owls improve to 6-4 all-time in the NE10 Championship tournament while they also advance to the conference championship for the second-consecutive season.
UP NEXT
Southern Connecticut will face American International on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018 at Adelphi University's Woodruff Hall at 5 p.m.
