STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's College (8-2, 1-0 GNAC) defeated Lesley University (2-5, 0-0 NECC), 3-0 (25-13, 25-9, 25-12) in a non-conference volleyball match at the Harold Alfond Center on Thursday evening.

The Monks trailed by a 10-9 deficit early in the opening set, but rattled off six unanswered points en route to a 25-13 triumph to take a 1-0 lead in the match. As it played out, St. Joe's would not trail again for the remainder of the evening as the hosts went on to clinch a pair of double-digit wins and third consecutive shutout victory.

For the hosts, senior Sarah Hawkes (Pownal, Maine) recorded match-highs of nine kills, 15 digs and three block assists and classmate Kiah Begley (Berwick, Maine/St. Thomas Aquinas) dealt 23 assists – also a match-best – with six digs and three aces on the evening. Freshman Felicia Wachowiak (Milton, N.H.) and sophomore Emilee Penman (Uncasville, Conn.) chimed in with six kills apiece and junior Erica Russi (Debary, Fla.) added 12 digs in the non-conference triumph.

For the Lynx, sophomore Danielle Johnson (Waterford, Conn.) tallied three kills and nine digs, freshman Danielle McDonald (Lilitz, Pa.) registered 12 digs, and senior Kaitlyn Miller (Leesport, Pa.) contributed eight digs and eight assists in a losing effort.

With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 5-2 in the history of the series with Lesley University and has now defeated the Lynx in five straight meetings dating back to the 2008 campaign. Four of the Monks' five wins over Lesley have been of the shutout variety.

For St. Joe's, the 8-2 record ties a program-best for the best mark through the first 10 games of the season. The 1996 squad, under the watch of Head Coach John Razsa, also registered an 8-2 record to start the year and went on to capture the program's first Maine Athletic Conference championship that fall.

Saint Joseph's returns to the court this Saturday when the Monks host GNAC-rival Rivier College at 12:00 PM. Lesley also plays on Saturday as the Lynx compete in a non-conference tri-match at Salve Regina (4:00 PM) with Wheaton College (2:00 PM).

Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.