ALBANY–Sophomore outside hitter Jennifer Gundrum and junior outside hitter Kelsey Lace combined to register 14 block assists Saturday afternoon,  allowing The College of Saint Rose to remain undefeated at home, and shut out visiting Merrimack 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-19) in Northeast-10 Conference action at Daniel P. Nolan Gymnasium.

The Golden Knights (13-5 overall, 6-2 NE-10) have given up just three sets on their home floor this season, en route to an 8-0 overall mark.

Having fallen behind 7-1 in set one, Saint Rose took a timeout and followed by putting a few dents in the board, including a 4-0 run, to trail Merrimack 11-9. The Golden Knights kept battling and forced five ties to follow, the final at 17-all. Saint Rose dished out another 4-0 spurt, and a 3-0 run shortly after to take a 24-18 lead. A pair of attack errors and a service error from the Golden Knights allowed Merrimack to grab a few more points, but a huge kill from sophomore middle hitter Maryellen Devic sealed the 25-21 win for Saint Rose.

The Golden Knights kept their momentum going in set two as they jumped out to a massive 17-4 lead that included three, four, and seven-point runs. Merrimack cut the lead down with a 4-0 spurt to bring them within nine. Neither team could put a run together until the 24-14 point when the Warriors collected three in a row, but it would not be enough as Devic laid down another big kill. The Golden Knights claimed the set 25-17 and took a 2-0 overall lead.

The Warriors (10-6/4-4 NE-10) came out firing in game three and took a 10-5 lead, forcing a Saint Rose timeout.  The Golden Knights followed with a 5-0 run to tie the game at 11-11, setting the pace for three more ties throughout the game, and took an eventual 20-17 lead. Merrimack called its second timeout of the game hoping it would slow the Golden Knights down, but it would not be enough as Saint Rose knocked down three straight. The Warriors mustered just two more points compared to five from the Golden Knights, giving Saint Rose the 25-19 win.

Gundrum put up eight blocks, followed by six from Lace, as both notched career-high marks. Devic and Lace paced the attack with nine kills apiece. Senior Tori Daniels and sophomore Erica Ziskin dished out 32 total assists, and senior libero Katy Daniels dug up 14 Warrior attacks. Senior setter Ariana Wilson slapped three service aces, and registered three kills and four digs.

The Golden Knights hit the road next weekend for matches at Saint Anslem and Saint Michael's on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Saint Rose returns to Albany to host Southern New Hampshire on Friday, October 31 at 7:00 pm, and Franklin Pierce on Saturday, November 1 at 1:00 pm. Prior to Saturday's match, the Golden Knights will honor senior Daniels (Tori), Daniels (Katy) and Wilson for their hard work and dedication to the program over the past four years. 

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