BOSTON – Simmons volleyball (9-11, 7-2 GNAC) returned to the court Tuesday evening edging out Dean College (9-12, 5-5 GNAC), in five sets, 3-2, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1: Simmons 25, Dean 22
The Sharks jumped ahead early taking a 1-0 match lead with a 25-22 win in the first-set. Sophomore Hannah Pridgeon posted a .385 attack percentage with seven kills on 13 attempts and just two errors, while sophomore setter Alicia Beatty paced the offense with 11 assists.
 
SET 2: Dean 25, Simmons 21
However, the Bulldogs evened the matched at 1-1 following a 25-21 win in the second. Graduate senior April Beatty led the started with six kills, while Prideon followed up with four kills. Sophomore libero Carolina Rodriguez anchored the defense with five digs as senior Meghan Doxsee was outstanding at the net with three solo blocks.
 
SET 3: Simmons 25, Dean 23
April Beatty put the Sharks back up by one, hitting .500 from the floor tallying seven kills on 10 attempts and two errors in the third set. Pridgeon followed suit with four kills, while Alicia Beatty set the tone with 10 assists.
 
SET 4: Dean 25, Simmons 17
But Dean was not going away. Hitting .320 as a team, the Bulldogs spread out their offense to force a deciding game five with a 25-17 victory in the fourth set.  Pridgeon was the spark of the Sharks offense as she was flawless from the floor, tallying five kills on 11 attempts for a .455 attack percentage.
 
SET 5: Simmons 15, Dean 6
However, the fifth and final set belong to the Sharks. Simmons jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead behind a pair of kills from Pridgeon and a service ace from Alicia Beatty. The Bulldogs attempted to claw their way back into the set winning the next two points, but it was as close as they would get.
 
The Sharks went on a 5-1 run to take an 11-4 lead and force Dean to call its first timeout, but it was too late, as Simmons cruised to the 15-6 win in the fifth set.
 
SIMMONS HIGHLIGHTS

• Sophomore Hannah Pridgeon registered a career single-game high 23 kills on 52 attempts with just eight errors, while notching her eighth double-double of the season with 10 digs.
• Graduate senior April Beatty also posted a career single-game best with 18 kills on the evening.
• Senior Meghan Doxsee was outstanding at the net registered five total blocks – three solo and two assisted.

UP NEXT
Simmons returns to the hard court on Thursday, October 31 when they travel to Norton, Massachusetts to face Wheaton College at 7 p.m.