Lady AMCATS Sweep on Senior Night, Set School Record

Paxton, Mass. – The Anna Maria College women's volleyball team swept visiting Mount Ida College and Norwich University in Great Northeast Athletic Conference action on Friday night at Fuller Activities Center. With the pair of wins the AMCATS finish the season with an 11-15 (3-8 GNAC) mark, setting a new school record for wins in a season. The previous record was nine, set in 2001.

In a pre-game ceremony the Lady AMCATS celebrated the careers of their three graduating seniors, Kayla Cummings (Auburn, Maine), Alexandra Rodriguez (Puerto Rico) and Megan Leyton (Eastham, Mass.)

The AMCATS set the new mark against Mount Ida College (4-27, 0-11 GNAC) in the first match.  Anna Maria took the first game 25-23 but the Mustangs responded winning the next two (25-21, 25-22). The AMCATS battled back and posted a 25-22 victory in game four and then scratched out the deciding fifth set, 15-11 for the 3-2 victory.

In the back and forth fifth game, the teams were tied 9-all. However, the AMCATS capitalized on a Mustang error and a kill by Jackie Clinton to pull ahead 11-9. The teams would trade miscues and Anna Maria would still hold a two point advantage, 12-10. Mount Ida pulled to within one 12-11 with a kill from Haley Paradis, but a service error on their next play had them trailing 13-11. AMC's Samantha Parker would serve out the final two points to send the AMCATS to victory.

Sophomore Samantha Parker (Athol, Mass.) broke her own team record with 38 assists over the five setter while Jessica Goulet (Lawrence, MA) led the AMC with 15 kills and a .400 hitting percentage.  Rodriguez had a solid game with 15 digs on the back line along with five kills and a block and freshman Michelle Connolly (Quincy, Mass.) recorded 13 digs and three service aces.

Ida was led by junior Nicole Peixoto (New Bedford, Mass.) who dished a match-high 39 helpers while sophomore libero Kelcey Koolman (Bedford, Mass.) and junior Hillary Kostner combined for 39 digs.

The second match was of the night saw the AMCATS best Norwich University 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-19).

Outside hitter Alyssa Haberman (Boca Raton, Fla.) came up big for the AMCATS with a match-high 11 kills and three digs. Setter Sam Parker also had another 38 assists, five digs and a pair of service aces. A-Rod's stat line would read 10 kills and four digs, while Kayla Cummings would finish with seven kills, one assist, one dig and have her hand in three blocks. Senior Megan Leyton would record 8 digs in her final match at AMC.

Norwich was led by junior Corinne Baita (Rochester, NH) who had a team-high 21 helpers and junior Kelsey Mancini (Lynnfield, Mass.) who contributed 8 kills, 4 digs and 4 blocks in the loss.