FAIRFIELD, Conn. – In front of its largest home crowd of the season, the Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team sent its fans home happy with a four-set win over Canisius on Senior Day at the Pitt Center. 

Before the match, SHU recognized Camryn Luginbuhl, Allison Murray and Peyton Plant as the three are playing in their final collegiate seasons. Luginbuhl was outstanding in the win, racking up 23 kills and 13 digs while hitting a stellar .306. After today, Luginbuhl is now second on the all-time program leaderboard with 470 kills this season, trailing just Associate Head Coach Kim Roleder, who tallied 497 in 2011. 

Gaby Zovko was also outstanding on offense, tallying 36 assists and a career-best six aces. Miliani Villarreal was stellar on defense, with 20 digs and nine assists. Cristina Montanez finished the match with a career-high 10 kills, hitting at a .643 clip. 

After clinching a spot in the MAAC Postseason Tournament yesterday. SHU climbed into a tie for fourth with Canisius in the league standings. If the Pioneers can stay in the top four, they will earn a bye in in the first round of the event. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 14-14, 10-6 MAAC
Canisius: 14-13, 10-6 MAAC
 
Top Performers:
Camryn Luginbuhl: 23 kills, 13 digs, .306 hitting percentage
Gaby Zovko: 36 assists, 6 kills, 6 aces, 4 digs
Miliani Villarreal: 20 digs, 9 assists 

How It Happened:
The Griffs took an early 7-3 lead in the opening set before the Pioneers rallied to cut the margin to 9-7. The momentum swung in the Pios' favor with a 7-1 surge to build a 14-10 advantage. A 4-0 run later widened the margin to 19-12. Luginbuhl posted three kills in the spurt. Canisius chipped away at the lead but could not take the advantage, as SHU went on to win 25-19. 

Following a 25-14 victory by the Griffs in the second set, Canisius started the third ahead 9-4. The Golden Griffins' lead grew to as high as seven in the frame, 20-13, before the Pioneers started to rally. Sacred Heart scored 10 of the following 13 points to even the score at 23-all. Canisius ended up owning set point twice in the frame before SHU answered both times. The Pioneers settled a thrilling 28-26 win with a set-ending 3-0 run that was capped by a Montanez kill. 

With a 2-1 lead in the match, SHU had its sights on a four-set victory, taking a 13-7 lead in the fourth. The Pios' strong start forced the Griffs into a pair of early timeouts. The Sacred Heart advantage continued to grow with a 4-0 surge, setting the score at 18-9. Canisius fought back to get as close as four, 24-20, but the Pioneers sealed the exciting home victory with a 25-20 triumph, fittingly ended by a Luginbuhl kill from Zovko. 

Up Next:
Sacred Heart hits the road for its final two regular-season matches this weekend, first battling Saint Peter's on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 1 p.m.