NASHUA, N.H. – The Rivier women's volleyball team defeated non-conference opponent Westfield St. in straight sets Saturday morning at the Muldoon Center.
With the win, the Raiders improved to 10-8, while the Owls fell to 6-12.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Rivier dominated the opening set, scoring the first five points behind kills from first-years Ashlee Salafia and Ava Pohopek and a service ace from junior Lily Seibel. The Raiders continued to build their advantage, extending the lead to 10-2 on a kill from senior Sam Driend and a pair of blocks from juniors Annabelle Lozzi and Savannah Dunne. Rivier maintained control throughout the set, pushing the margin to 20-6 behind kills from Salafia and senior Lacey Turner and an ace from sophomore Reagan Pepin. Westfield St. scored seven of the final 12 points, but the Raiders closed out the frame, 25-13, on a Driend kill.
- Westfield St. built an 9-5 lead in the second set before extending the advantage to 14-8. Rivier began its comeback with kills from Salafia and Pohopek, along with a block from Turner and Pohopek, eventually tying the set at 15-15. The Raiders continued to battle, pulling even at 19-19 before taking a 21-19 lead on a kill from junior Savannah Dunne and a Westfield St. attack error. The Owls responded to tie the set at 22-22, but Rivier scored three of the final four points, with Salafia recording the final two kills to secure a 25-23 win and a 2-0 match lead.
- Rivier opened the third set with a strong run, scoring nine of the first 10 points to take a 9-1 lead behind kills from Driend, Turner, and Salafia, along with several Westfield St. attack errors. The Raiders continued to extend their advantage, moving ahead 17-7 on a Seibel service ace before reaching a 21-10 lead. Westfield St. trimmed the deficit late, but Rivier maintained a double-digit advantage and reached match point at 24-14 on a block from first-year Brooke Braswell. Sophomore Emma Zeblisky finished the match with a kill, giving the Raiders a 25-15 set victory and a 3-0 sweep.
BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN
- Salafia led the team with nine kills, followed by Driend with seven.
- Seibel dished out 27 assists and two service aces.
- Sophomore Mollie Miner and Turner led the team with 14 and 12 digs, respectively.
UP NEXT
The Raiders return to the court Wednesday, Oct. 21 for a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) match with New England Col. The first serve is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Bridges Gym.
