BIDDEFORD, Maine – The Saint Joseph's College of Maine volleyball team opened the 2025 season in dominant fashion, sweeping the University of Southern Maine, 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-18), Friday evening at the Harold Alfond Forum.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Saint Joseph's (1-0) controlled the match offensively, posting a stellar .287 hitting percentage as a team compared to the Huskies' .136 effort. After edging out the opening set, 25-22, the Monks tightened their serve and block defense to take the final two sets by comfortable margins.
INDIVIDUAL STATS:
- Junior Greta Mackintosh (Plymouth, Mass.) powered the attack with a match-high 11 kills on .556 hitting
- Sophomore Kylie Giakoumis (Middletown, N.Y.) chipped in seven kills, while first-year Addison Thomas (London, Ohio) was efficient with six kills on .316 hitting
- Senior Nadia Sixto (Chattanooga, Tenn.) delivered six kills and a pair of total blocks
- Junior Larisa Comolli (Nashua, N.H.) added six kills and two total blocks, while freshman Emily Mendelson (Springboro, Ohio) contributed five kills
- At the setter spot, freshman Maddie Garrett (Euless, Texas) dished out 16 assists and collected a team-high seven digs, while junior Tamya Johnson (Boston, Mass.) handed out 11 helpers
- Freshman Livy McDonough (West Friendship, Md.) added five digs and a team-high three service aces
- The Huskies (0-1) were paced by Ella Koehler, who tallied 11 kills on .556 hitting, while Haylie Bidegain contributed five kills.
BY THE NUMBERS:
- SJC tallied 38 assists on 44 kills compared to USM's 28 assists on 29 kills
- The Monks recorded seven service aces and six total team blocks.
- Saint Joseph's hit .419 in the opening set and posted .250 and .206 marks in the second and third sets, respectively
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
Tonight's match-up marked the 86th all-time meeting between the crosstown rivals. Southern Maine continues to hold the edge in the series, 51-35. The Monks swept the Huskies, 3-0, at last year's Coast of Maine Classic, before USM answered with a 3-1 home victory to split the 2024 season series
NEXT!
Saint Joseph's continues play tomorrow in Biddeford with a pair of matches at the University of New England. The Monks face Maine Maritime Academy at 12:00 PM before squaring off with the host Nor'easters at 4:00 PM.