Hokenson posted her fifth career double-double to lead the Lions to a big five set win. (PHOTO BY Bob Blanchard/RJBsports.com) |
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. (September 11, 2026) – Emerson College ranked up a program-best 75 kills and held off a Saint Thomas University (Texas) comeback effort from two sets down to extend its season-opening win streak to five matches with a 3-2 (25-18, 25-22, 21-25, 23-25, 18-16) triumph on day one of the 2026 NYU Violet Invitational, hosted by New York University, at the John A. Paulson Center this evening.
Emerson's 75 kills best a previous program-high of 68 against Bates University on October 15, 2016, and is tied for the third highest by a New England Men's and Women's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) program since 2012. The Lions were led by junior Chloe Hokenson's fifth career triple double, posting a .457 hitting percentage with her season-high 18 kills on 35 total attacks and just two errors, with 31 assists and career-best 26 digs, two service aces and four blocks.
Senior Rachel Dickerson led Emerson with a career-high 22 kills with six digs, while classmate Lauren Yoo posted a double-double with a season-high 27 digs and career-best ten assists. Sophomore Lizi Horning contributed 18 kills and six digs for the Lions, while junior Sami Kim chipped in a season-high 12 digs.
Emerson has now won its first five matches of the season for the first time since a 5-0 start in 2023.
Senior Alexis Bodunrin led St. Thomas with a match-high 25 kills and only five errors for a .333 hitting percentage, 12 digs, three aces and four blocks (three solo). Senior Carly Lange totaled a match-high 33 digs with seven assists and two aces, while classmate Jada Stallworth notched a double-double with 25 assists and 19 digs. Postgrad Audrey Cataline chipped in 12 kills, three assists, three aces and 14 digs.
Emerson did not trail in taking the opening set, recording just one error on 37 total attacks with 15 kills for a .378 hitting percentage. Dickerson paced the Lions with five kills, including the last three points to clinch the set, while Horning added four.
Emerson held off a St. Thomas rally late in the second set to take command of the match, capped by three-straight Hokenson kills. She led the Lions with six kills in the set without an error on ten total attacks (.600).
Emerson scored the first six points of the third set and appeared set to close out a sweep, but St. Thomas battled back to level the set at 16-16. The Celts drew even again at 17-17 before grabbing the set capped by a pair of aces by freshman Alexie Martinez and Cataline kill. Bodunrin paced the Celts with eight kills and just one error on 13 attacks (.538) in the set.
St. Thomas forced the fifth and deciding set by taking control of the fourth set after trailing 11-10 after a service error. Bodunrin added five kills without an error on nine attacks (.556), while freshman Ta'Niyah Johnson added four kills on six attempts (.667) with Stallworth dishing out seven assists.
Emerson battled to win a deciding fifth set that included six ties and five lead changes. The Lions sealed the set on Hokenson's serve. Hokenson pulled the Lions level at 16-16 with a kill and then combined with sophomore Emma Luehring before setting up Horning for the match clinching kill. Hokenson and Dickerson had five kills apiece in the set, with Dickerson committing just one error on 15 total attacks in the set.
Emerson (5-0, 0-0 NEWMAC) is right back in action tomorrow for day two of the NYU Violet Invitational when it faces Montclair State University at 2:30 p.m., followed by host NYU at 4:45 p.m. The Lions next home match is Tuesday, September 15, when they host Dean College at 7 p.m. St. Thomas (0-1, 0-0 SCAC) faces Montclair State at 10 a.m., followed by NYU at 12:15 p.m.
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