River Hawks eliminate Ravens from postseason contention

RINDGE, N.H. (Nov. 2, 2004) – The Franklin Pierce volleyball team saw its postseason aspirations come to an end, as visiting UMass Lowell came up with a 3-1 (30-26, 25-30, 30-16, 30-13) Northeast-10 Conference victory tonight. After dropping the opening game, the Ravens fought back to knot the match at one before succumbing to an overpowering River Hawks attack. Franklin Pierce, who was mathematically eliminated from conference tournament contention, dropped to 11-12 (6-8 NE-10) with the loss. UMass Lowell improved its record to 13-8 (10-2 NE-10) with the win.

The River Hawks received a dominant performance from Julie Handy (Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza). The junior outside hitter piled up a match-high 26 kills to go along with 13 digs. Fellow outside hitter Ashley Cote (Lowell, Mass./Lowell/C.W. Post) contributed 12 kills and 14 digs, while sophomore setter Caitlin Harte (East Rochester, N.H./Spaulding) racked up 53 assists and three aces to fuel the UMass Lowell offense.

On her senior night, Franklin Pierce middle hitter Briana Bates (Belmont, N.H./Endicott College) tallied a season-high nine blocks to go along with eight kills. Sophomore outside hitter Christina Collett (Tombstone, Ariz./Tombstone) notched nine kills, while classmate Michelle McConnell (Elora, Ontario/Centre Wellington) chipped in with 11 digs and six kills for the hosts. Freshman setter Bria Williams (Chino Valley, Ariz./Chino Valley) had a solid overall match, posting 23 assists and ten digs, while junior Tara Vece (Clinton, Conn./Morgan School) added 20 digs on the defensive end for the Ravens.

Franklin Pierce (11-12, 6-8 NE-10) will wrapup its season on Thursday when they travel to Saint Anselm for a match beginning at 7:30 p.m. UMass Lowell (13-8, 10-2 NE-10) takes the court again on Saturday, as they host Northeast-10 Conference foe Saint Rose at 1 p.m.