NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – The Manhattanville College women's volleyball team matched the best seven-match start to a season in program history with two wins on Saturday at the Smith Invitational, sweeping Ursinus College and Husson University in three sets to move to 6-1 on the young season.
 
Manhattanville's six wins in its first seven matches are tied for the most in program history, matching the 1998 and 2011 squads that both started the year 6-1. The 1998 team also won its next contest for a 7-1 start, which the Valiants will look to match on Wednesday.
 
The Valiants hit .294 as a team on the day, averaging 12.8 kills per set in the two victories. Sophomore Kerry Mackey (Smithtown, N.Y./Christ the King) led the team with 19 kills and junior Alissa Primavera (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) added 13, while senior Allison Regan (Carmel, N.Y./Carmel) hit a team-best .524 in putting down 12 kills on 21 attempts. Freshman Christina Nardi (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) also led the squad with 25 digs and seven aces on the day.
 
In the first match of the day, Manhattanville put down 44 kills and hit .312 in a 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-17) victory over Ursinus.
 
Primavera and classmate Megan Quinabo (Pearl City, Hawaii/Kamehameha Schools-Kapalama) led the way with double-doubles on the morning. Primavera hit .371 by putting down 13 kills without an error on 35 attempts while also adding 12 digs, and Quinabo racked up 37 assists to go with 15 digs and two kills. Regan also had eight kills on 14 attempts for an excellent .571 hitting percentage.
 
Manhattanville finished off the weekend with another three-set victory, using 15 aces to defeat Husson by a 3-0 (25-12, 25-18, 25-13) score.
 
Sophomores Meagan Dattoma (Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Comsewogue) and Kerry Mackey (Smithtown, N.Y./Christ the King) led the Valiant attack in this one with eight kills apiece, with Mackey doing so with a .467 hitting percentage as well. Freshman Laura LiVolsi (Washingtonville, NY/Washingtonville) was nearly perfect with seven kills on 10 attempts (.700 hitting), while freshman Andrea Baez-Berrios (Caguas, Puerto Rico/Cupeyville School) chipped in a match- and season-high 15 assists to go along with three aces and six digs.
 
The Valiants will take their 6-1 record into the start of MAC Freedom play on Wednesday, when the squad travels to Madison, N.J., to take on FDU-Florham. Manhattanville will look to extend its winning streak to four matches against its closest conference rival beginning at 7 p.m.