Seahawks sweep day one of Ocean State Classic

NEWPORT, R.I. – The Salve Regina University women's volley ball team improved to 5-3 on the season with two victories as co-host of the inaugural Ocean State Classic.

The Seahawks posted a pair of 3-0 sweeps against Wheaton College and the University of Southern Vermont.

Against Wheaton all three sets were competitive with scores of 25-22, 25-20, and 25-19 in favor of the Seahawks.  

Taylor Violet (Tiverton, R.I.) led the Seahawks with 30 assists, seven digs, and four service aces.  Jennifer Duggan (Merrimack, N.H.) led the team in kills with 11, followed by Emily Lipinski  (Hampden, Mass.) who posted 10 kills against the Lyons. Senior captain and libero Diana Tauro (Melrose, Mass.) was the dig leader for the Seahawks with nine.  Katelyn Beauregard  (Dartmouth, Mass.) logged two blocks in the match.

The Lyons were led in kills by Deidre Wilson (Aptos, Calif.) who had nine to go along with 13 digs. Sophomore Caitlin Hellebrand (Corona, Calif.) totaled 12 assists, a service ace, and four digs. Olivia Wilson (Alameda, Calif.) was second on the team with 12 kills.

Against the Mountaineers of Southern Vermont the Seahawks posted another 3-0 sweep. Salve Regina had total control of the first set, winning 25-8. Then the two teams played an incredibly competitive second set.

The undermanned Mountaineers went toe to toe with the Seahawks and found themselves leading 23-21 after an 8-2 run in a back and fourth affair before the Seahawks ran off four straight points to take the set 25-23.

Taylor Violet was once again the assist leader for the Seahawks with 17 to go along with three service aces, three digs and two kills.  Diana Tauro recorded 12 digs and a key service ace late in the second set to spark the 4-0 run that won the set.  Freshman Samantha Higgins (Coventry, R.I.) tallied six kills to lead the Seahawks along with two digs.  Fellow freshman Samantha Salwa (Ellington, Conn.) recorded three digs, a kill, and four service aces in the second set.

The Mountaineers were led in kills by sophomore Katie Cerulo (Natick, Mass.) with seven to go along with three digs.  Jessica Delgado (Los Angeles, Calif.) was the dig leader with eight. Sheilani Kaleopa (Riverside, Calif.) was the assist leader with 12 to pair with two service aces. 

With the two victories the Seahawks improve to 5-3 on the season and will face Colby-Sawyer in Bristol, R.I. on Saturday 13 in their final match as part of the Ocean State Classic. That game is slated for an 11 a.m. start.

The Lyons faced the Mountaineers in the middle match of the day. The Lyons won the match three sets to none.

Deirdre Wilson paced the attacked in match two with 12 putaways, eight assists and three digs, while Arieanne Creighton (Brookline, N.H.) drove home 11 kills and also registered one dig. Koen and junior Sarah Alexander (Wayne, Pa.) aided the offense with four kills each.

Wheaton ran away with set one cruising to a 25-9 win. The Mountaineers put up a greater fight in the second set.

In the second set neither team held more than a three-point advantage. Tied 24-24, the Mountaineers gained a 25-24 margin on the scoreboard after an attacking error by the Lyons but Wheaton responded with three-straight points on a pair of kills from Hellebrand and one from Robyn D'Agostino (Three Bridges, N.J.) to take the second set.

Wheaton used that momentum in set three, closing out Southern Vermont quickly with a a match-high 15 kills. The Lyons led by as many as 12 on two separate occasions (20-8 & 23-11) before the final score in set three of 25-12.

The Lyons, now 4-4 on the season will face Colby-Sawyer and Roger Williams on September 13 in Bristol, R.I. Meanwhile the Mountaineers fall to 1-2 on the season and will next face Roger Williams as well to close on the first Ocean State Classic.