Springfield, Mass. – October 8, 2010 – The Springfield College women’s volleyball team used a combined 34 kills from Heather Lively, Lauren Torvi, Sarah Lang-Rodean, and Tessa Smolinski as it swept visiting Westfield State in the opening match of the Tom Hay Invitational on Friday evening. The Pride won the match by the scores of 25-9, 25-19, 25-17.
The win brings Springfield to 20-2 on the season and marks the 19th-straight season that head coach Joel Dearing has won 20 matches in a season. The loss drops the Owls to 11-9 this season.
Lang-Rodean and Torvi each finished with a match-high nine kills as the duo combined to hit .607 out of the middle. Springfield’s outside’s were equally as productive as Lively and Smolinski both totaled eight kills, with Smolinski hitting .538 for the contest. Kelsea Hellyar handed out 36 assists as she guided a Springfield attack which hit. 364 in the game, including .722 in the opening set. Meaghan Hart recorded a match-high nine digs, while Torvi, Lang-Rodean, and Kim Giaquinto all registered three blocks apiece.
For the visiting Owls, Rachel Ryan had a team-best eight kills, while Kelsey Leonard added five kills at a .500 clip to go along with a pair of blocks. Kerin DeGirolamo was responsible for 18 assists and four sidgs to go along with an ace.
Springfield was unstoppable in the opening set as it hit .722 as it totaled 14 kills on 18 swings with just one error. The hosts raced out of the gate with five kills, from five different players, on the opening six swings of the game to grab a commanding 10-2 lead and force a Westfield State timeout. The Pride continued the pressure on the offensive side of the ball as it cruised to a 16 point victory.
In the second, after an attack error by Springfield brought the visitors within one at 6-5, Springfield poured on a 7-2 run, capped off by a Torvi kill, to force another Owl timeout. The visitors climbed within five after a double block by Leonard and Ryan, only to have the hosts answer with five of the set’s next seven points to take control of the set. Torvi was the difference in the frame as she totaled six kill on eight errorless swings.
The third set saw the Pride jump out to a 9-3 lead after an early Smolinski kill. Springfield benefited from the Owls hitting .071 in the frame as it led by as many as 10 (20-10) after a Giaquinto kill. Westfield State battled back to made it a seven point game, but Smolinski finished out the match with her eighth kill as the Pride won its 20th match of the year.
The Pride return to action on Saturday morning when it takes on Bridgewater State at 10:00 am.
2010 Tom Hay Invitational
Springfield 3, Westfield State 0 (25-9, 25-19, 25-17)
Plymouth State 3, Bridgewater State 0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-18)
