FRANKLIN, Mass. – September 29, 2021– The Dean College women's volleyball team was defeated by Simmons, 3-0, in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) match Wednesday evening at Pieri Gymnasium. Simmons won by scores of 25-12, 25-14 and 25-18.

Simmons improves to 8-3 overall and 2-1 in the GNAC. The Sharks begin October with a home match against Norwich on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Dean dips to 1-9 overall and 0-2 in conference play. The Bulldogs continue GNAC action on Saturday with a tri-match at Johnson & Wales with Anna Maria.

Simmons sophomore Claire Conners (Albany, Calif.) led all players with seven kills on .357 hitting. First-year Nelani Majkia (Albuquerque, N.M.) hit .625 to finish with six kills. Sophomore setter Kat Simeonidis (Lake Mary, Fla.) ran the offense with 19 assists to go with seven aces.

Dean received five kills and five blocks from junior Sari Albury (Nassau, Bahamas). Sophomore Annabella Driscoll (Plymouth, Mass.) recorded 11 assists, while sophomore Jenny Galley (Pembroke, Mass.) had a match best 10 digs.

The home team scored the first two points of the night but was answered with an 11-3 run by Simmons to take control at 11-5. Trailing 20-8, the Bulldogs didn't give up and rattled off four consecutive points to pull within 20-12. Simmons scored the final five points, including the last two by kills from Conners, to win the first 25-12. The Dean defense held Simmons to just seven kills, but the Sharks posted nine aces in the frame.

The Sharks raced out to a 6-2 lead in the second set behind strong serving. Dean kept the score withing striking distance at 19-14. Simmons closed the frame by scoring the next six points, including the final three via the ace from first-year Ava Saltzgiver (Weatherford, Texas).

The third set began with back and forth action. The Bulldogs held a 9-8 lead after an Albury kill. The score was then tied at 12-12 before Simmons used an 8-1 run, capped by a Krissy Lloyd (Tampa, Fla.) kill, to take a 20-13 lead. Dean came back to make the score 22-18 after another Albury kill, but Simmons scored the next three to take the match. Lloyd had all five of her kills in the set.