WILKES-BARRE, PA (September 17, 2021) -- The King's College women's volleyball team hit an impressive .434 for the match, recording 31 kills on 53 attempts, as they defeated the visiting Keystone College Giants, 3-0, on Friday night to kick start homecoming weekend in McGrane Gymnasium. The Monarchs (8-0, 1-0 MAC Freedom) post their best start to a season since 2015 with the win.

King's dominated from the get-go, storming out to an 11-0 lead in the opening set behind four of senior Cleo Schultz's six kills for the match. Keystone (1-6, 0-0 CSAC) could net get closer than eight points in the remainder of the set as King's earned the set one win, 25-11, over the Giants.

It was déjà vu in the second set as the Monarchs built another 11-0 advantage, including all five of senior Karissa Hartzell's service aces in the match. The Giants inched within seven, 15-8, but King's ended the set on a 10-4 run, handing Keystone a 25-12 loss in the second set.

The Monarchs offense was just too much for the visiting Giants, totaling a .556 hitting percentage in the final set of the match, as they cruised to a 25-4 win in set three, winning the match, 3-0.

Senior Olivia Bunch recorded her sixth double-digit kill total out of the eight matches this season, leading the Monarch offense with 14 kills, hitting .571. Senior Wiatt Hoffmann dished out a match-high 18 assists with four digs, while Hartzell led all players with 11 digs and five aces. In addition, senior Toni Galasso posted four aces and eight digs, while senior Sarah Hayward totaled four aces, including four of the last five points of the match.

Keystone was led by Adrianna Derrick with five kills and five digs, while Madi Aston recorded 14 assists and three digs.

As a team, the Monarchs held the Giants to an abysmal -.080 hitting percentage for the match. King's also led the stat sheet, winning the battle in points (49-18), kills (31-15), aces (16-1), assists (29-15), and digs (35-13).

The Monarchs are back in action as they travel to Hoboken, NJ for their first road MAC Freedom match with the Ducks of Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday, September 22 at 7:00 p.m.