WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Rivier women's volleyball team defeated Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponent Saint Joseph (Conn.) (USJ) in straight-sets Saturday afternoon at the James A. Calhoun Gymnasium.

With the win, the Raiders jumped to 14-12 (8-2 GNAC), while the Blue Jays dropped to 4-19 (2-6 GNAC).

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Rivier opened the match strong with a 7-2 start, highlighted by kills from senior Callie Nanos and sophomore Savannah Dunne, along with aces from sophomore Lily Seibel and junior Sam Driend
• USJ rallied midway through the set with a 7-0 run to take a 14-12 lead
• The two sides traded points late before Seibel came up with back-to-back kills to fuel a 5-0 run to retake the lead, 23-21
• Driend sealed the opener with two kills for the 1-0 match lead
• The Raiders carried their momentum into the second set, getting out to a 4-0 lead to begin the frame
• The Blue Jays responded with a 4-0 run of their own to level the set
• Sophomore Lydia Brakefield contributed two kills to spark the offense and retake the lead, 7-6
• Senior Ali Rivera and Driend combined for six kills down the stretch and propelled the Raiders to a 25-15 set win
• Saint Joseph took an early 5-2 lead to begin the third set, but an 8-0 run that included four service aces from Seibel, put Rivier out in front 12-6
• The Blue Jays chipped away at Rivier's lead, but were unable to close the gap as the Raiders took the contest, 25-19

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN

• Rivera paced the offense with nine kills and a .227 hitting percentage
• Driend followed closely behind with eight kills, and Dunne and Nanos each recorded six
• Seibel contributed a double-double with 27 assists and 10 digs, adding six service aces
• Defensively, senior Kaitlyn Miller posted a game-high 15 assists

UP NEXT
The Raiders return to the court Thursday, Oct. 30 for a top five GNAC matchup with Emmanuel (Mass.). First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at the Jean Yawkey Center.