Volleyball Spiits a Pair of Five-Game Thrillers, Parker Sets Assists Record

NORTHFIELD, Vt. –The Anna Maria College volleyball team split a pair of matches on Saturday afternoon, dropping a five-set thriller to the Cadets of Norwich University before rebounding for a 3-2 win against MCLA in the nightcap.

With today's results, the AMCATS now sit at 8-9 overall and 1-4 in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.

NORWICH 3, ANNA MARIA 2

In the first match, the Cadets won the first two sets by 25-16 and 25-15. However, the AMCATS responded to take the third and fourth sets 25-17 and 25-21. Norwich escaped with the decisive fifth set by a score of 15-13.

Seniors Corinne Baita (Rochester, N.H.) and Kelsey Mancini (Lynnfield, Mass.) led the Norwich attack posting 17 and 16 kills respectively. Mancini moved into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time Norwich career kills list during the match.

Baita posted a double-double, as she was a stalwart defensively with 17 digs in the match. Sophomore Alex Ruediger (Sandy Lake, Pa.) led the team with 19 digs, while Katherine Crane (Avon, N.Y.) had 17 and Alex Palmer (South Windsor, Conn.) had 15. Crane also posted a single-match career high 52 assists to lead Norwich.

Trailing 10-6 in the fifth set, Norwich reeled off eight straight points with Palmer serving. Baita notched three kills during the run.

Anna Maria (7-9, 1-4 GNAC) was led by 11 kills apiece from Rebecca Foti (Bedford, N.H.) and Telliah Bursie (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) Bursie also checked in with a match-high six blocks. Samantha Parker (Athol, Mass.) chipped in with three blocks, while Foti added one.

ANNA MARIA 3, MCLA 2

Junior Jessica Goulet (Lawrence, Mass.) and senior Jacqueline Clinton (Walpole, Mass.) combined for 22 kills en route to the 3-2 win against MCLA. Clinton also added 19 digs to record her second double-double of the season.

The AMCATS won the first game 25-15 before allowing MCLA to tie the score with a 25-20 win in game two. Anna Maria posted a 25-23 win in the third set and the fourth went into extra points, as MCLA escaped with a 28-26 win. The final set was claimed by the AMCATS with a 15-7 win on the strength of eight kills.

The AMCATS posted a .186 hitting percentage in the match, including a .333 hitting percentage in the final set.

Parker dished out a program-best single-match high of 44 assists and added 16 digs in the win. She bests the previous single-match record of 33, which she set last season. 

Foti posted a team-high 23 digs, while Brittany Jackson (Larchmont, N.Y.) chipped in with 21.

Anna Maria will be back in action on Thursday, October 9^th when it hosts Becker College for the annual Dig Pink game at 7:00 p.m.