NASHUA, N.H. – The Rivier men's volleyball team fell in straight sets to non-conference foe Endicott on Wednesday, March 12, at the Muldoon Center.

With the loss, the Raiders dropped to 6-8, while the Gulls improved to 10-8.

Senior Bassam Awde got Rivier off to a strong start with three consecutive service aces, giving the Raiders an early 3-0 lead. A kill from junior Matthew McCloskey extended the advantage to 6-2 in the first set, but Endicott responded with eight unanswered points to take an 8-6 lead. The Gulls maintained their momentum, eventually closing out the set 25-15.

Rivier trailed for much of the second set until a McCloskey kill evened the score at 23-23. A series of Endicott attack errors pushed the Raiders ahead 25-24, but the Gulls quickly responded to tie it at 25-25. Rivier briefly regained the lead with another McCloskey kill, followed by a point from sophomore Racine Camara. However, Endicott closed the set with three straight points to take the frame 29-27.

The Raiders opened the third set with a point off an Endicott attack error, but it was the only time they led in the final frame. The Gulls built a five-point lead before Rivier battled back. A McCloskey kill and back-to-back Endicott errors tied the score at 17-17. Despite the Raiders' efforts, Endicott held firm down the stretch, securing the match with a 25-23 third-set victory.

McCloskey led Rivier's offense with 13 kills while hitting at a .522 clip. Camara followed closely with 10 kills, while Awde posted the second-highest hitting percentage of the match at .429. Sophomore Justin Barish contributed 34 assists.

The Raiders return to action on Saturday, March 15, when they travel to face non-conference opponents Arcadia and MIT in a tri-match. First serve is set for 2:00 p.m. at Rockwell Cage.