BOX SCORE

When and Where: September 20, 2018 – No. Andover, Mass. (Hammel Court)
Score:  Southern New Hampshire University 3, Merrimack College 0
Records:  SNHU 3-7, Merrimack 3-10

Senior Jessica Dillon (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) tallied seven kills, 30 assists, five digs and four blocks, as the Southern New Hampshire University women's volleyball team hit a blistering .412 en route to a 3-0 (25-10, 25-18, 25-9) sweep of Merrimack College on Wednesday night at Hammel Court.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

• Dillon swung at a .357 clip.
• Junior Jaclyn Maguire (Rochester, N.Y.) recorded a team-high nine kills on .571 hitting to go with five digs and a pair of blocks.
• Junior Amanda Costales (Wantagh, N.Y.) posted seven kills on .353 hitting, while adding seven digs and a pair of service aces.
• Freshman Ramona Fontaine (Chelsea, Mass.) turned in a career-high seven kills on .700 hitting, while stuffing three attempts.
• Sophomore Irem Bat (Istanbul, Turkey) also picked up seven kills and swung at a .636 rate.
• Senior Priscila Castro (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) chipped in three aces and six digs.
• Senior Shaira Sanabria (Bayamon, Puerto Rico) and freshman Megan Palmer (Prior Lake, Minn.) combined for five aces and 16 digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Southern New Hampshire never trailed in the opening set, leading it 6-5 when a 17-4 blitz opened up a 23-9 advantage. Palmer and Castro each contributed a pair of aces, while Dillon and Costales each handed in two kills. Maguire use a pair of kills to pick up the final two points of the set.
• The second set was tied, 12-all, when the Penmen ended the frame on a 13-6 run that was highlighted by a pair of aces and a kill from Costales, as well as a trio of kills from Dillon.
• SNHU held a 5-4 edge early in the third set when it outscored Merrimack, 20-5, the rest of the way. Bat owned the set, as she contributed five kills and a service ace to put the Warriors away.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• SNHU outhit Merrimack in all three sets, including .412-.057 for the match.
• Southern New Hampshire outhit the Warriors, .615-.077 in the third set, racking up 17 kills on just 26 attempts.
• The Penmen owned a 13-2 advantage in blocks, as well as a 12-3 margin in service aces.

NOTES

• The Penmen have now won two straight for the first time all season.
• It is the first time SNHU has hit over .400 in a match since Sept. 11, 2010 against Bloomfield College (.405) and is also its best hitting performance since posting a .441 mark in the 2010 season opener against Saint Michael's College on Sept. 4.

UP NEXT

• The Penmen return to action Tuesday, Sept. 25 (7 p.m.) when they play host to in-state rival Franklin Pierce University in its Fill the Cupboard game at the Stan Spirou Field House. Click HERE for more information.

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