Dickerson recorded her 500th career kill to help close out the Salve sweep tonight (PHOTO BY Jacob Goldberg, '28) |
BOSTON, Mass. (September 29, 2026) – Emerson College continued its best start in program history, matching its best New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) start, with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-20) victory over Salve Regina University in NEWMAC women's volleyball action at Bobbi Brown and Steven Plofker Gymnasium tonight.
Emerson has won its last seven matches, including three set sweeps in the last six, to open NEWMAC play with a program-best three wins for the second-straight year. The Lions are off to a 12-1 start for the first time in program history and maintain pace to better a 13-2 start in 2010.
Junior Sophia Schiappa served up a career-high eight aces as Emerson posted its sixth-straight double-digit ace total and tenth this season overall with 13. Schiappa also totaled 13 assists and four digs, while classmate Sami Kim added three aces and senior Lauren Yoo chipped in with two aces and nine digs.
Sophomore Lizi Horning paced the Emerson attack with a match-high nine kills and a block, while senior Rachel Dickerson recorded her 500th career kill with seven tonight. Junior Chloe Hokenson chipped in with 12 assists, five kills and four digs for the Lions.
Junior Anouk Jansen paced Salve Regina with eight kills and three digs, while classmate Lauren Shurling added seven kills, two aces and three digs. Senior Kate Andy dished out 12 assists with four digs for the Seahawks.
After battling through an opening set that saw six ties and three lead changes, Emerson did not trail over the final two sets to complete the sweep. Kim served the Lions to the opening set with two-straight aces, including three in the set overall, before Hokenson delivered set point with a kill. Emerson recorded seven of its 13 aces in the match in the opening set with Kim and Schiappa each posting three.
Emerson took control of the second set with six-straight points on Yoo's serve, including an ace, to open a 19-11 lead before Dickerson closed out the set with back-to-back kills. Horning hit .444 with five kills and just one error on nine total attacks in the set as the Lions hit .409 as a team with just three combined errors and 12 kills.
Emerson didn't trail again in the third set to close out the match as Dickerson helped seal the match with a pair of kills, including the 500th of her career, while Horning and first year Addie Wooten also delivered kills in the Lions closing 6-2 run. Dickerson hit .667 with four kills on six attempts without an error and Schiappa finished her career-best serving night with three aces.
Emerson (12-1, 3-0 NEWMAC) returns to action on Saturday when it visits Springfield College for a key NEWMAC matchup at noon. The Lions return to Boylston Streer on Friday, October 9, when they host Emmanuel College for a non-conference matchup at Brown and Plofker Gym at 5 p.m. Salve Regina (5-9, 1-1 NEWMAC) hosts Wellesley College on Saturday at 1 p.m.
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