MANCHESTER, N.H. - The Saint Michael's College women's volleyball team lost its Northeast-10 Conference opener at Southern New Hampshire University, 3-2 (28-26, 19-25, 31-29, 22-25, 15-6), on Tuesday evening in Stan Spirou Field House.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (4-11, 0-1 NE10), Southern New Hampshire (5-10, 1-1 NE10)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• Senior Alexandra Báez Rentas (San Juan, Puerto Rico/New Dimensions), 43 assists, 20 digs
• Junior Dana Welch (Howell, N.J./Donovan Catholic), 12 kills, .321 hitting
• Sophomore Grace Almeida (Clifton Park, N.Y./Shenendehowa), 8 kills, .318 hitting
• Sophomore Kyla Farnan (Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle), 13 digs, 4 assists, 3 aces
• First-year Nora Schulze (Hingham, Mass./Hingham), 17 kills
• First-year D'Niaya Settles (Ames, Iowa/Ames), 12 kills, .310 hitting

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Senior Julia Cavalcanti, 11 kills, 5 aces, .500 hitting
• Senior Eyleen Dias, 14 digs
• Senior Deanne Wilson, 15 kills, 8 digs
• Junior Ella Koelb, 43 assists, 3 aces

THE ACTION

• Neither team led by more than four points in the opening set. The Purple Knights led 24-23 following a service error before twice erasing Penmen match points, but Cavalcanti's ace ultimately capped the set.
• A 5-0 run by the visitors, highlighted by a pair of Báez Rentas kills, snapped a 5-5 tie in the second set, and Almeida's solo block had her team up 15-8. Cavalcanti's ace brought the Penmen within 18-16, but Saint Michael's iced the set when Báez Rentas and Welch dropped kills in a clinching 4-1 run.
• Three points was the largest advantage by either team in set No. 3. Southern New Hampshire had six set points wiped out, including as Schulze's kill made it 29-29, but Cavalcanti's kill was followed by an error.
• Wilson's kill had the Penmen up 18-16 in the fourth set, but Settles posted a pair of kills in a 6-0 run, and the Purple Knights continued to lead by no fewer than two points.
• Almeida's kill had Saint Michael's ahead 5-4 in the fifth and deciding set, but the Penmen finished the match with 11 of the final 12 points. Cavalcanti had three aces and a kill in that time.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S MATCH

• Saturday at American International College, 7 p.m.