STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's College (14-5, 4-3 GNAC) celebrated the program's "Dig Pink" event with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-16) victory over Husson University (11-8, 2-0 NAC) in a non-conference volleyball match at the Harold Alfond Center on Wednesday evening. Freshman middle blocker Felicia Wachowiak (Milton, N.H.) tallied 12 kills with an outstanding .545 attack percentage in the sweep.

The team's largest crowd of the season attended tonight's match in support of the Monks and the "Dig Pink" initiative, a national event held during Breast Cancer Awareness month by middle school, high school, and collegiate teams across the nation to help increase awareness and raise funds in support of breast cancer research. All proceeds from the gate as well as donations collected during the match will go to the Side-Out Foundation, which sponsors the national fundraiser annually. Sophomores Kaela Murphy (Salem, Mass.) and Emilee Penman (Uncasville, Conn.) spearheaded the event for Saint Joseph's.

The Monks seldom trailed in the shutout, as the match featured just six tie scores and a trio of lead changes. The opening set started out fairly even, as St. Joe's held a slim 13-11 lead after Eagles senior Hannah Olstad (Farmington, Maine) recorded a kill, but the Royal Blue proceeded to produce eight unanswered points en route to a 25-17 triumph and a 1-0 lead.

Husson raced out to a 12-7 advantage in the second set but the visitors' lead quickly dissipated, as the hosts managed to score 18 of the next 19 points to capture a commanding two-set cushion. Wachowiak was at her best during the Monks' second-stanza surge, when the rookie phenom put up five kills and three block assists.

The third and final set was closely-contested early as St. Joe's was ahead by a 9-7 margin before posting a 6-2 burst to secure a 15-9 lead. The Eagles cut their deficit down to 16-12 shortly thereafter, but the Monks would outscore their in-state rival by a 9-4 rate to close out the set and clinch the 3-0 triumph.

For the Monks, Sarah Hawkes (Pownal, Maine) tallied eight kills, 10 digs and two block assists, Kiah Begley (Berwick, Maine/St. Thomas Aquinas) put up 27 assists, 12 digs, three aces and two kills, and Erica Russi (Debary, Fla.) chipped in with 14 digs on the evening. Holly Bannister (Cumberland, Maine) and Brooke Dyer (Lebanon, Maine/St. Thomas Aquinas) added five kills apiece in the sweep.

For the Eagles, Olstad registered 11 kills and 11 digs, Aleta Johnson (Milton, N.H.) posted 20 assists and six digs, Michelle Smith (New Boston, N.H.) contributed six kills and seven digs, and Kelsey Burrill (Somersworth, N.H.) added 14 digs and three kills in a losing effort.

With the victory, Saint Joseph's improves to 10-9 in the history of the series with Husson University and has now defeated the Eagles in seven consecutive meetings dating back to the 2009 campaign.

Up next for the Monks is a crucial GNAC tri-match with Simmons College at University of Saint Joseph on Saturday. St. Joe's faces the Sharks at 12:00 PM and takes on the host Blue Jays at 2:00 PM.

Husson will host a pair of North Atlantic Conference foes, Colby Sawyer (10:00 AM) and Maine-Farmington (4:00 PM), on Saturday. 

Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.