FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team swept Saint Peter's on Sunday afternoon, hitting at a season-best .376 clip to cruise by the Peacocks in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play. 

For the fifth time this season, Miliani Villarreal finished with a double-double on 11 assists and 10 digs. Camryn Luginbuhl tallied a near double-double with 14 kills and nine digs in her second strong outing of the weekend. Gaby Zovko ended the day with a near triple-double, racking up 23 assists, nine kills and seven digs. 

With today's win, SHU head coach Rob Machan climbed to 298 career wins in his illustrious career. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 9-12, 5-4 MAAC
Saint Peter's: 4-12, 2-7 MAAC
 
Top Performers:
Camryn Luginbuhl: 14 kills, 9 digs, 2 blocks, 2 aces
Gaby Zovko: 23 assists, 9 kills, 7 digs, 3 blocks
Allison Murray: 11 kills, 5 digs 
Miliani Villarreal: 11 assists and 10 digs

How It Happened:
The start of today's match was contested between three points for much of its duration. The largest lead of the frame was four, 22-18, following a 4-0 Sacred Heart run. A 4-1 surge by the visitors tied the score at 23-23, which led to a rash of back-and-forth play. SHU fought off four set points, ultimately taking the frame 32-30 following a late 3-0 spurt. Allison Murray and Luginbuhl both tallied kills in the run, which was capped by a Peacocks' setting error. 

The second set also started tightly contested until a 4-0 SHU run gave the home team a 15-10 lead. Luginbuhl was at the center of the surge with a kill and a block. A Saint Peter's rally was quickly answered by an 8-2 Sacred Heart spurt, giving it a 24-16 advantage. The Peacocks won the next three points, but the Pioneers' advantage was too strong as they won the frame 25-19. 

SHU took a stranglehold in set three, going ahead by five, 14-9, with a 6-0 run. The Pioneers later tallied an 8-0 surge to take a commanding 23-13 advantage. A Murray kill and a Tiana Brasby ace in back-to-back points iced the win for the Pios at 25-15, sealing the Sunday sweep. 

Up Next:
The Pioneers will open the newly renovated William H Pitt Center on Saturday, Oct. 26, with a 6 p.m. tilt against Marist.