Top-seeded Rivier University (26-4) registered 23 service aces to defeat Saint Joseph's College (13-18), 3-0 (25-13, 25-9, 25-7), in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Volleyball Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday evening.
PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS:
With the win, Rivier moves on to the second round of the GNAC tourney and will host #4 Simmons University in semifinal action on Thursday, start time TBA.
For the Monks, the loss brings an end to the 2022 season as well as the college careers of seniors Catherine Balzano (Portland, Maine), Amanda Darby (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Hanna Holden (Stoughton, Mass.), Catherine Lane (Millis, Mass.), and Isabel Philbrick (Milford, N.H.). All five players were four-year members of the SJC volleyball program and will be missed in future seasons.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Raiders opened the match with a 10-0 run as grad student Avery Pollard belted three service aces and grad Sydney Racevicius slammed home three kills to set the tone for the evening.
In the second set Rivier employed an effective service performance with six aces early en route to claiming an 18-5 advantage.
The Raiders led 5-3 in the third frame and extended the cushion to 15-5 after posting a 10-2 run and later iced the tourney triumph with a pair of service aces from Pollard.
TEAM STATS:
Rivier held the advantage in kills (30-8), assists (27-8), aces (23-2), digs (38-25), and blocks (6-3).
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Freshman Victoria Briones (El Paso, Texas) tallied three kills and 11 digs
- First-year Nadia Sixto (Chattanooga, Tenn.) added two kills, an ace, and a pair of block assists
- Senior Hanna Holden (Stoughton, Mass.) chipped in with three assists
- Racevicius belted 10 kills with three aces
- Pollard notched two kills, 23 assists, seven aces, four digs, and three block assists
- Lily Sills posted five kills, three aces, and four block assists
Original source can be found here
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