THE BASICS 

Score: Emerson 3, Simmons (25-18, 26-24, 25-19)

Records: Emerson Lions (10-6, 3-4 NEWMAC) ; Simmons Sharks (11-5, 5-2 GNAC)

Location: Boston, Mass. (Holmes Sports Center) 

Date: October 14, 2021

The Lead: Paced by the freshman duo of Parker Cummings and Amelia Combs, the Emerson women's volleyball team jumped back in the win column with a sweep over crosstown Simmons on Thursday night. Emerson took the first set 25-18 followed by a 26-24 comeback in the second and wrapped the sweep with a 25-19 victory. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

EMERSON

Combs: nine kills
Cummings: nine kills & three aces
Rebecca Polsky: 24 assists & 11 digs
Isabella Cubba: three blocks 

SIMMONS

Sydney Iannantuono: nine kills & 11 digs
Claire Conners: nine kills & two blocks
Kat Simeonidis: 23 assists & 11 digs
Amanda Fortune & Krissy Lloyd: two blocks

HOW IT HAPPENED 

SET ONE

• Emerson and Simmons exchanged the lead twice before the Lions broke away on a 4-0 run capped off by back-to-back Sharks attack mishaps and went up a pair at 8-6. 
• Simmons chipped away Emerson's lead with six of the next nine points to reclaim at one point edge at 12-11, which was the last time the hosts would hold the lead. 
• Beginning with a Sharks service error, the visitors rattled off a 10-1 streak to propel ahead by eight at 21-13. 
• Emerson tacked on the set's final four points and kept Simmons behind despite five late points by the hosts as the Lions took the opening frame, 25-18. 

SET TWO

• Simmons led by as much as five and maintained that cushion until the middle point of the second frame, which is when Emerson began to forge its comeback. 
• With the score at 15-11 in favor of Simmons, Emerson pieced a 6-2 push together, highlighted by four kills from Combs, to close within one at 17-16. 
• Despite another short spurt that pushed the Lions ahead by one for the first time in the set at 20-19, Simmons snagged back the lead and were one point from a win at 24-22. 
• After a kill by senior Carolyn Vaimoso got Emerson back within a point (23-22), two kills from junior Logan Steenbergen and Simmons attack error put the Lions on top (25-24) before a swing from freshman Isabella Chu locked down the 26-24 comeback win. 

SET THREE

• The Sharks jumped out to a quick 6-3 lead that was short-lived as the Lions added the next four points to push ahead 7-6. 
• Three lead changes were exchanged over the next several points with Simmons ahead 13-12 on the last lead change before Emerson snagged the lead for good. 
• Tied 13-all, five straight points by the Lions bumped the visitors up four at 17-13 after an attack error by the Sharks. 
• Emerson continued to build on to its lead up to six and iced the sweep with Cummings' swing for the 25-19 win. 

UP NEXT 

• Emerson enters a busy Saturday with an out of league tri-match against Suffolk and Colby on October 16th with the first match beginning at 10 a.m.