November 8, 2008
Nashua, N.H.. - Top seeded Rivier College women's volleyball won a
hard fought battle for the second straight season against #2 seed
Johnson & Wales University, 3-1 at the Muldoon Health &
Fitness Center on Saturday afternoon.
Johnson & Wales opened the match with a 25-21 victory in set
one as the Raiders started out shaky on serve receive.
However after gaining some confidence and momentum at the end of
set 1, Rivier then knotted the match at 1-1 with a 25-17 win in the
second set. The host Raiders then took the 2-1 advantage with
a 25-22 win in set three after trailing 22-20 late in the
set. The Raiders closed out the match with a 25-21 win in set
four.
Rivier was led by sophomore Nicole Rodriguez (Newton,
MA) with 11 kills, 4 digs, 3 blocks, and 3 ace serves
while senior Nicole Hersey (Milton, NH) also
recorded 11 kills and 4 digs in the victory. Senior
Colleen Van Cura (Niantic, CT), the Most Valuable
Player of the GNAC Championship, had 17 digs on the
afternoon. Senior Laura Ciummo (Burrillville,
RI) led the Raider offense with 38 assists while junior
Lindsay Chace (E. Providence, RI) hit a team high
.357 percent and blocked 3 Wildcat attacks in the four game
set.
Sophomore Danielle Jacques (Derry, NH) was steady
with 8 kills for the Raiders including 1 big put-away late in set
four. Freshmen Danielle Stoodley (Salem, NH), Lauren
Saccoccio (Warwick, RI) , and Emileigh Cenedella (Townsend,
MA) were strong once again for the Raiders. Stoodley
scooped up 12 digs, including a backbreaking lip in set 4 to turn
momentum towards the Raiders. Saccoccio put down big kills
all match and helped with 8 digs and 2 aces. Cenedella
scrambled for 7 digs and served 3 lasers for aces.
Ciummo, Chace and Van Cura were named to the All Tournament Team
for the Raiders.
Rivier Improves to 25-10 and have earned the conference's
automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.
Location, times, and opponents are TBA.
Match Summary
JWU (26-13) 25 17 22 21
RC (25-10) 21 25 25 25
All Tournament Team
Amanda Machado - Emmanuel
Lauren Zaniboni
- Emerson
Catherine
Bravo - Johnson
& Wales
Ashley Constantino - Johnson & Wales
Lindsay
Chace - Rivier
Laura
Ciummo - Rivier
Colleen Van Cura - Rivier (Most Valuable
Player)
