THE BASICS 

Match One Score: Emerson 3, Simmons 1

Match Two Score: Emerson 3, Manhattanville 1

Records: Emerson Lions (2-0) ; Simmons Sharks (0-3) ; Manhattanville Valiants (1-1)

Location: Boston, Mass. 

Date: September 2, 2023

The Lead: In their season opener, the Emerson women's volleyball team came away with the tri-match sweep over Simmons and Manhattanville on Saturday afternoon. Emerson battled back in the first match to overtake Simmons, 3-1, before they closed out the day with a three-set sweep over Manhattanville.

MATCH ONE: Emerson 3, Simmons 1

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

EMERSON

Parker Cummings: 16 kills 

Amelia Combs: 14 kills 

Brooke Maynez: 12 kills 

Combs: two aces

Mia Rodriguez: 20 assists 

Caroline Davis: 16 digs 

Isabella Cubba: seven blocks

SIMMONS

Jayla Parnell: 13 kills 

April Beatty: 11 kills 

Kat Simeonidis: three aces

Meghan Doxsee: three blocks

Chelsea Simmons: 19 assists

Carolina Rodriguez: 11 digs

SET ONE 

• Emerson held a tight lead to begin the first set, but Simmons answered with the next three points to put the score at 4-all before the Sharks took the outright lead. 
• The hosts closed the gap to two five times through the middle of the frame as the Sharks maintained a steady five-point lead at 21-16. Down five, swings from Cummings and Maynez kicked off a 5-0 run to level the score at 21-all. 
• The Lions evened the score one more time before they grabbed their first lead since the start of the set at 25-24 after a Sharks attack error. 
• It was Simmons who used a trio of kills from Conners and Parnell to comeback for the 27-25 win over Emerson. 

SET TWO

• Much like the first, the second set was competitive and saw five ties until Emerson began to break away 9-1 spurt, which gave the Lions the 19-12 edge after a swing from Cummings. 
• Emerson was able to sustain their lead and kept Simmons within six points to close out the frame at 25-18. 

SET THREE

• Emerson carried momentum from the second set into third as the hosts powered their way to a 10-point advantage at 17-7 after Combs served an ace at the line. 
• Simmons inched back within single digits four times through the remainder of the set, but it was a service miscue by the visitors that handed the Lions the 25-15 win. 

SET FOUR

• Emerson continued to dominate in the fourth as racked up a hit percentage of .353, while Simmons was held to -.094 as the Lions took the match, 3-1, with the 25-11 win. 
• With the four point lead to start off the frame (6-2), Emerson surrendered the next five of seven points as Simmons' ace closed the Sharks to within one. (8-7)
• 12 of the next 14 points were tacked on by the Lions and gave them the comfortable double-figure lead at 20-10 before the Sharks took a timeout. 
• To wrap the frame, the last five of six points went Emerson's way as a Sharks attack error iced the Lions' 25-11 win. 

MATCH TWO: Emerson 3, Manhattanville 0 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

EMERSON

Maynez: 13 kills 

Combs: 10 kills, three aces

Cubba: three blocks

Rodriguez: 21 assists

Davis: 17 digs

MANHATTANVILLE 

Loren Hernandez: 11 kills, 13 digs

Kayla Jennings: 11 kills

Grace Ballagas: two aces

Vianca Vital: 28 assists

Meghan Wildes: two blocks

SET ONE

• Emerson held a steady lead over Manhattanville to begin the opening frame and kept the Valiants within five. With the 16-11 lead, a trio of kills pushed the visitors within a pair at 16-14. 
• For the remainder of the set, Emerson held Manhattaville to a deficit of four and sealed the 25-20 first set win on a swing from Maynez. 

SET TWO

• To open the second frame, the two teams locked the score five times before the Valiants used Jennings' and Brown's kills to gain the two-point edge at 7-5. 
• Emerson then rang off the next four points to jump ahead at 9-7 before the visitors leveled the score once again, this time at 10-10. 
• The Lions were able to fend off when the Valiants closed the gap to one at 17-16 and tacked on the next eight of nine points for the 25-17 second set victory. 

SET THREE

• Emerson found themselves playing from behind to kick off the third and trailed Manhattanville by three at 6-3 after a swing from Sofia Morales. 
• The Lions battled and strung together a 8-1 spark to reclaim the outright lead when sophomore Elizabeth Wagner served up an ace to put the score at 11-7.
• Manhattanville stayed within striking distance of Emerson and got the score down to a two-point deficit two more times. 
• A two-point lead turned into a seven-point cushion for Emerson as the hosts rang off four consecutive points to push their lead to 21-15. 
• The Valiants would get within five at 24-19 on a kill from Brown, but the Lions captured the 25-19 win and the sweep at the hands of Combs' kill.