THE BASICS: 

-Score: Assumption 3, Southern Connecticut 2 (32-30, 22-25, 16-25, 25-18, 15-10)

-Records: Assumption (4-6, 1-0 NE-10); Southern Connecticut (2-10, 0-2 NE-10)

-Location: Worcester, Mass. (Laska Gymnasium)

-The Lead: The Assumption College volleyball team rallied back from a 2-1 deficit, taking sets four and five to claim a 3-2 victory over Southern Connecticut in the Hounds' home opener at home on Tuesday night. Freshman Kellie Smith (Richland, Mich. / Gull Lake) registered her third double-double of the season in the win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: 

-Smith, along with senior Tara Reilly (Northport, N.Y. / Northport) led the Hound offense with 14 kills apiece in the victory. 

-Sophomore Olivia Burke (Salem, N.H. / Salem) registered nine kills followed by classmates Julia Goyette (Randolph, Mass. / Ursuline Academy) and Stephanie Hawley (Savannah, Ga. / St. Vincent's Academy) who each totaled eight.

-Defensively, Smith led Assumption with 27 digs while libero Maria Chrisom (Dover, N.H. / Saint Thomas Aquinas) totaled a close-second 22 digs. Senior Courtney Bagwell (Diamond Bar, Calif. / Diamond Bar) also contributed heavily with 17. 

-Sophomore Kiki Romanik (San Rafael, Calif. / Sir Francis Drake) tallied an impressive 52 assists over the five sets.

-Reilly totaled five blocks, one solo, while Goyette posted four. Burke also tallied five blocks, including two solo. 

-Leanna Jadus led Southern Connecticut with 14 kills and 20 digs.

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE: 

-Romanik's 52 assists ranks her tied for eighth in Assumption history for most assists in a single five-game match.

-Smith's double-double marks the third of her career while 27 digs and 14 kills are new match-best totals for the freshman.

-Reilly's 14 kills is the second-most the senior has accumulated in one match, second only to her 18-kill showing against Post this season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

-Assumption came out strong to take set one 32-30, getting out to an early 3-0 lead. The Owls came back with a four-point run to take the lead before the squads traded points into the middle of the set. The Owls built on the lead, 14-9, until the Hounds rattled off a nine-point run to reclaim the lead 18-14. The run came with Romanik behind the service line and included three kills from Goyette, one from Burke and one from Smith.

-The Hounds held the lead 24-21 before a kill by the Owls' Sean Taylor sparked a four-point run, taking back the lead. The two teams traded points until a kill from Goyette gave the Hounds a 31-30 lead and an Owl error gave the Hounds the win.

-The Hounds dropped sets two and three by scores of 25-22 and 25-16, respectively. While set two remained close for much of the time, the Owls dominated set three, amassing a significant 12-1 lead before Assumption regained its rhythm. The lead was too much, however, and the squads went into set four with the Owls up 2-1.

-Assumption took set four 25-18 to tie the match 2-2. The score remained within two points until the Hounds overcame a 16-14 deficit and began to pull away. With Goyette at the service line, the Hounds rattled off seven straight points to take a commanding 21-16 lead the Owls could not overcome.

-In set five, Assumption clinched the match with a 15-10 victory. The Hounds got off to a strong start with an 8-2 lead before a three-point Owl run threatened to throw off the Greyhound momentum. An Assumption timeout proved beneficial as the Owls were able to tally just five more points for the duration of the game.  

UP NEXT: 

-The Hounds are scheduled to travel to NYIT on Friday, Sept. 25, at 5 p.m. and then Adelphi the next day at 1 p.m. as the first of three road matches before returning home on Saturday, October 3, against Southern New Hampshire at 7 p.m.

STAY CONNECTED:

-For the latest on Assumption College Athletics, follow the Hounds via social media on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. For more information, contact the Office of Athletic Communications at 508-767-7240. 

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