NASHUA, N.H. - The Rivier women's volleyball team captured the No. 4 seed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Tournament after finishing with a 10-3 conference record. The Raiders will host fifth-seeded Regis (Mass.) on Tuesday, November 11, at 7:00 p.m. in the Muldoon Center.
This is the Raiders' fourth straight GNAC postseason appearance under the direction of head coach Jeff Costa '05.
The Raiders opened their season at the Dearing Classic hosted by Springfield College, finishing 1-3 on the weekend. They followed the tournament with an eight-match non-conference stretch, going 3-5. Rivier opened GNAC play on a 4-0 winning streak, with their first conference loss coming against Saint Joseph's (Maine). The Raiders then strung together three more victories, two in conference play, before picking up their second GNAC loss against Lasell. The squad closed out the regular season 3-1 in GNAC action.
All-time against the Pride, the Raiders hold a 14-3 record, with their most recent victory coming in sweeping fashion at the Muldoon Center in the regular-season finale to claim home court advantage.
Rivier's offense is led by senior outside hitter Ali Rivera, who has posted a .137 hitting percentage with 204 kills over 83 sets played. Classmate right side hitter Callie Nanos has also been a key contributor for the Raiders, recording a .220 hitting percentage with 189 kills across 100 sets.
Sophomore setter Lily Seibel ranks third in the GNAC in assists per set, averaging 7.44 and totaling 759 over 102 sets played. She has also earned two Setter of the Week honors this season. Seibel also leads the team in service aces with 46.
Senior libero Kaitlyn Miller has been a steady force defensively, averaging 3.61 digs per set and leading the team with 361 total over 100 sets played. Seibel's defensive presence has also been key, ranking second on the team with an average of 2.95 digs per set and adding 24 blocks on the season. Sophomore middle Savannah Dunne leads the team in blocks with 66, averaging 0.71 per set.
Key players for Regis include junior Avery Mols, who leads the team with 246 kills, 260 digs, and 54 service aces. Classmate Grace Fabiano follows closely, ranking second on the team with 231 kills while anchoring the defense with a team-high 101 total blocks.
The winner of Tuesday's match will advance to the GNAC Semifinals to face the winner of No. 2 Lasell and No. 7 Colby-Sawyer on Thursday, November 13, with the time and location to be determined.
