WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Curry College Women's Volleyball team captured a thrilling 3-2 win at the University of Saint Joseph on Thursday evening, clinching the match with a 16-14 victory in the decisive fifth set. The Colonels improved to 9-15 overall; St. Joseph is 8-13.

Curry took two, one-set leads only to be equaled both times by St. Joseph before taking the fifth. Scores by set were 25-19, 17-25, 30-28, 22-25, 16-14. Very little separated the teams as they played 221 total points with USJ winning 111 and Curry 110.

Behind two kills from Ciara Perez (Manchester, Conn.) and two aces from Justin Walicki (Plainville, Conn.), USJ took a commanding 10-4 lead in the fifth set. The Colonels gradually fought back, but faced a 14-12 deficit and two match points. Curry got one point on a kill from Christina Wallis (Peabody, Mass.) and another on a USJ hitting error to pull even at 14. Emily Boudreau (Marshfield, Mass.) had a kill on the next point and Alyssa Keeney (Coventry, Conn.) put away match point.

Perez had a match-high 16 kills to go along with 15 digs for the Blue Jays. Megan Williams (Lakeville, Conn.) had 38 assists and 21 digs for USJ and Emily Vigue (Lebanon, Conn.) had 12 kills and 18 digs. Saint Joseph senior Amanda Dondero (Mastic, N.Y.) had 12 kills and senior Rebecca DiPinto (Burlington, Conn.) had eight.

Nicole Grambley (N. Attleboro, Mass.) had a team-high 16 kills for Curry and Boudreau had 12. Keeney was the defensive standout of the match, amassing 31 digs. Keeney was particularly effective in the long third set when she had 13 digs.

USJ next plays at Emerson, Sat. October 19 at noon. Curry travels to Wentworth, Wed. Oct. 23 for a 7 p.m. match.