STANDISH, ME – Saint Joseph's (4-0) opened the 2012 SJC Autumn Invitational Volleyball Tournament with victories over Bates College (1-1) and Husson University (2-3) at the Harold Alfond Center on Friday evening.

Saint Joseph's def. Bates, 3-1 (14-25, 25-22, 26-24, 25-20)

The Bobcats put the Monks on their heels with a 25-14 opening-set victory, but St. Joe's rebounded with three consecutive wins in what was a very competitive and well played contest.

With a talented mix of veterans and newcomers, Saint Joseph's seemed bit off sync in the first-set loss but communication improved as the evening progressed. Senior Sarah Hawkes (Pownal, Maine) led the offensive attack with nine kills and added 14 digs and four total blocks in the triumph. Senior setter Kiah Begley (Berwick, Maine/St. Thomas Aquinas) notched a double-double with 23 assists and 17 digs, junior Holly Bannister (Cumberland, Maine) added eight kills and four block-assists, freshman Felicia Wachowiak (Milton, N.H.) contributed six kills and three block-assists, and junior Erica Russi (Debary, Fla.) chimed in with a team-high 20 digs.

For the Bobcats, Eliza Pyne and Mary Deneen belted 11 kills apiece, Nicole Russell tallied 37 digs, six kills and four aces, Jess Walther registered 36 assists and eight digs, and Brynn Wendel tacked on seven kills.

With the victory, Saint Joseph's snaps a nine-match losing streak at the hands of the Bobcats and is now 3-14 versus Bates College since the start of the 1991 campaign. The Monks' win over the Bobcats is the team's first since the 1997 campaign.

Saint Joseph's def. Husson, 3-0 (25-11, 25-8, 25-5)

The Monks' second match of the evening turned out to be the opposite of the first, as the Royal Blue breezed to a shutout victory over Husson with the help of an astounding .451 attack percentage and 18 service aces.

Hawkes led the way again, belting 10 kills in 15 bids for a stellar .533 attack rate while adding seven digs, six aces and three total blocks in the nightcap. With her first successful attack of the match Hawkes, the Monks' all-time leader in the category, became the first player in program history to reach the 800-kill plateau for their career.

Wachowiak continues to play well as a freshman and notched seven kills in just 12 attempts while fellow rookie Abbie McPhee (Epping, N.H.) delivered eight service aces in the convincing conquest. Begley recorded 19 assists and a pair of aces while junior Brooke Dyer (Lebanon, Maine/St. Thomas Aquinas) produced five kills on the night.

St. Joe's is now 9-9 against Husson since the 1991 campaign and has defeated the Eagles in six consecutive meetings dating back to the 2009 season. 

For Husson, Kelsey Burrill and Hannah Olstad tallied three kills apiece and Aleta Johnson chipped in with four assists and three digs in a losing effort. 

Lyndon State College dropped matches versus Husson and Bates in other tournament action.