PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Rivier women's volleyball team opened the 2026 season Tuesday evening, falling to JWU (Providence), 3-2, at the Wildcat Center. The Raiders dropped the first two sets, 25-20 and 25-13, before rallying to take the third and fourth sets, 25-23 and 25-19. JWU claimed the deciding fifth set, 16-14.
With the loss, the Raiders dropped to 1-0, while the Wildcats improved to 1-0.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The opening set featured a back-and-forth battle, with Rivier holding a 12-10 advantage following kills from first-year Ashlee Salafia and junior Savannah Dunne. JWU answered with four straight points to take a 14-12 lead, but the Raiders battled back to come within one thanks to kills from senior Sam Driend and Dunne. After JWU extended its lead to 19-14, Rivier cut the deficit to 21-19 behind a kill from first-year Ava Pohopek and a block by Dunne and junior Lily Seibel. JWU closed the set with four of the final five points to take a 1-0 lead.
- The Raiders kept the second set close early, trailing just 6-5 before JWU began to create separation. The Wildcats used a prolonged scoring run to move ahead 22-8. Rivier stopped the run with a service ace from sophomore Mia Pento and a kill from Dunne. JWU halted the comeback attempt, scoring two points late and finished the set, 25-13.
- JWU opened the third with three straight points, but the Raiders quickly answered with a three-point run to even the set at 3-3. The teams continued to trade points before JWU moved ahead 13-10. Rivier then worked its way back into the set, with kills from Dunne, Salafia, and sophomore Fiona Rexford, trimming the deficit to one. After JWU stretched its lead to 18-13, the Raiders mounted another comeback, scoring eight of the next 11 points to tie the set at 21-21. The teams remained even late, reaching 23-23 before Dunne recorded a service ace and Pohopek finished the set with a kill to give Rivier its first set win of the season.
- The Raiders carried their momentum into the fourth, opening the set with a 12-3 run. JWU answered with six straight points and eventually pulled within one, 14-13 after a series of kills. Timely aces from Pento and senior Lacey Turner put Rivier in a position to close out the set, 25-19.
- The deciding set opened with JWU taking a 2-0 lead before Rivier responded with five consecutive points. Salafia sparked the run with a kill, followed by another kill from Driend and back-to-back service aces from Seibel. JWU answered with four straight points to regain the lead, 6-5. Rivier pulled even at 9-9 and again at 11-11 before the teams traded points late. Salafia tied the set at 13-13, and Seibel's service ace gave Rivier a 14-13 edge. JWU responded with the final three points, taking the fifth set, 16-14, and the match 3-2.
BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN
- Dunne paced the offense with 14 kills, followed by Driend and Salafia with 11 each.
- Dunne added a team best .345 hitting percentage.
- Seibel recorded 41 assists in her season debut.
- Sophomore Mollie Miner led the way with 27 digs, followed by Driend and Seibel with 20 each.
UP NEXT
The Raiders return to the court Friday, Sept. 4 for day one of the Vassar Quad. Rivier begins its weekend with a non-conference match with Clark at Kenyon Hall. The opening serve is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
