Springfield, Mass. - September 5, 2014 -The Springfield College women's volleyball team swept Johnson & Wales before defeating Amherst in a five-set thriller in the opening night of the Springfield College Invitational on Friday. The Pride downed Johnson & Wales, 25-16, 25-15, 25-21, before defeating the Lord Jeffs 25-26, 27-25, 28-26, 18-25, 15-11.

Springfield 3, Johnson and Wales 0

Kelsey McGayhey (Shelter Island, N.Y.) started off the season on a strong note, posting 11 kills on a .500 hitting percentage.  Francesca Mack (Amston, Conn.) followed suit as she produced nine kills while hitting .533.  Lauren Holt (Granby, Conn.) chipped in six kills and six blocks, and Marnae Mawdsley (Bolton, Conn.) and Molly Giannattasio (East Lyme, Conn.) combined for 29 assists.

Paula Cadavid led the way for the Wildcats, contributing nine kills and five digs.

As a team, Springfield hit .348 in the match.

Springfield 3, Amherst 2

Junior right side, McGayhey, led the Pride once again with a career-high 18 kills at a .429 clip. Meghan Kinee (Williamstown, N.J.) played solid defense, notching 27 digs.  Holt was solid in the middle for the Pride, racking up 17 kills on a .361 percentage to go along with seven blocks, while fellow middle Elise Brogan (Andover, Mass.) added 13 kills of her own.

For the Lord Jeffs, Katie Warshaw recorded a match-best 34 digs, while both Nicole Gould and Samantha Newby contributed 10 kills a piece.

The Pride will play in the semi-final game of the 2014 Springfield College Invitational tomorrow at 12:30pm in Blake Arena.

Springfield College Invitational
Springfield 3, Johnson and Wales 0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-21)
Stevens 3, Westfield 0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-15)
Springfield 3, Amherst 2 (25-26, 27-25, 28-26, 18-25, 15-11)
Rivier 3, Westfield 0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-23)