POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Rivier University women's volleyball team fell to Clark, 3-1, before dropping game two, 3-0, to the hosts Vassar Friday evening at Kenyon Hall.
With the results, the Raiders dropped to 0-3, while the Cougars improved to 2-0, and Brewers moved to 1-1.
Clark 3, Rivier 1 (26-24, 25-21, 14-25, 25-21)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Clark jumped out to a 9-4 lead before Rivier rallied to tie the set at 10-10 off back-to-back kills from sophomore Fiona Rexford and junior Annabelle Lozzi. The Cougars later opened a 19-15 advantage, but the Raiders responded with five straight points, including kills from senior Sam Driend and a service ace from junior Savannah Dunne, to take a 20-19 lead. The teams traded rallies down the stretch, reaching 24-24 before Clark scored the final two points to take the opening set, 26-24.
- Rivier held an early 3-2 lead and maintained its advantage until Clark tied the set 8-8 off an error. The Raiders later trailed 14-11 before Clark extended its advantage to 21-16. Rivier scored five of the next six points, capitalizing on errors before Clark answered with three straight points, including back-to-back service aces, to take a 2-0 lead.
- The Raiders opened the third set with a 6-2 run, highlighted by three kills from Dunne and a kill from Lozzi. Rivier continued to build its lead, moving ahead 13-5 before Clark cut the deficit to 13-10 off the back of a 5-0 run. The Raiders responded with a 6-1 run, that included four combined service aces from sophomore Mollie Miner and junior Lily Seibel, to extend the lead to 19-10. Rivier closed the set on a 6-2 run to force a fourth.
- The fourth set remained tight early, with the teams tied at 6-6 and again at 11-11, 13-13, and 15-15. The Cougars broke the deadlock with a 5-0, taking a 20-15 lead. The Raiders battled back to within two behind kills from first-year Ava Pohopek and Dunne, but Clark sealed the match, 25-21, with consecutive kills.
BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN
- Dunne and Driend lead the offense with 13 and 11 kills respectively, with Dunne adding a .500 hitting percentage.
- Seibel dished out 28 assists with sophomore Regin Pepin adding 12 to the stat sheet.
- Defensively, Miner finished with a team-high 19 digs.
- As a team, the Raiders out blocked the Cougars 9-5.
Vassar 3, Rivier 0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-22)
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Rivier held an early 4-3 advantage before Vassar moved ahead 7-5. The Raiders stayed within one point at 11-10 and later took the lead, 12-11, following consecutive errors. Vassar took a 14-12 lead and extended its advantage to 17-14. The Brewers then used a 4-0 run to move ahead 21-15 before closing the set, 25-18, with a kill.
- Vassar opened the second set with a 6-1 advantage and led 8-2 before Rivier began to chip away. A pair of service aces from sophomore Mia Pento helped the Raiders cut the deficit to 10-9. Rivier pulled within two at 14-12 following a pair of kills from Dunne. The Brewers answered with a 5-0 run late to take a 19-14 lead and finished the set taking four of the last five points run to take set two, 25-17.
- The third set featured 15 ties and remained close throughout. Rivier and Vassar were tied at 14-14 before Vassar moved ahead 16-14. The Raiders stayed within striking distance, eventually taking a two-point lead, 19-17, with a kill from first-year Ashlee Salafia. Vassar then scored four straight points to take a 23-20 lead. Rivier countered with consecutive points to pull within 23-22, but Holland Kaplan closed out the frame and the match with two consecutive kills.
UP NEXT
The Raiders return to the court Saturday, Sept. 5 for day two of the Vassar Quad, where the will take on West Conn in a non-conference bought. The opening serve is set for 1:00 p.m. at Kenyon Hall.
