Buchholz collects double-double in nightcap

Boxscore vs. New Haven
Boxscore vs. NYIT

RINDGE, N.H. (November 1, 2008) – Senior Nicole Buchholz (Broadlands, Va./Stone Bridge) hammered out 14 kills and racked up 11 blocks (one solo) in the second of two matches on Saturday afternoon to lead the Franklin Pierce University volleyball team to a 3-2 victory over New York Institute of Technology in non-conference play at Franklin Pierce’s Fieldhouse. In the first match of the day, graduate student Rhe-Ann Niles (St. Thomas, Barbados) chalked up 14 kills to lead New Haven to a 3-0 win over Franklin Pierce in a Northeast-10 Conference match.

In the first match, Franklin Pierce was swept by New Haven: 25-20, 25-14 and 25-18. The Ravens rebounded to defeat NYIT: 25-19, 23-25, 26-24, 20-25 and 15-12. Franklin Pierce honored its three-player senior class prior to the nightcap against NYIT.

Against New Haven, junior Caitlynn Parnell (Medina, Texas/Medina) led the Franklin Pierce offense with five kills, as she worked off the set of senior Karissa Hookstadt (Camarillo, Calif./Adolfo Camarillo), who dished out 26 assists in the match. Defensively, sophomore Chelsie Kohout (Harrison Township, Mich./L’Anse Creuse) led the Ravens with eight digs while senior Buchholz contributed three blocks.

For New Haven, Niles led a pair of Chargers in double digits with a match-high 14 kills. She was joined in double figures by senior Charisse Cotton (East Patchogue, N.Y./Bellport), who had 10 kills as both worked off the set of senior Yael Rosner (Haifa, Israel) and her match-best 39 assists. Niles led New Haven defensively as well, with a match-high seven blocks while seniors Katrina Ali (Christ Church, Barbados) and Brittani Cotton (East Patchogue, N.Y./Bellport) each recorded eight digs.

Against NYIT, Buchholz, senior Emily Schultz (Salem, Wis./Westosha Central) and junior Katie Ristow (Miami, Fla./Miami Killian) all recorded double digits offensively with 14, 10 and 10 kills, respectively. Again, the offense ran through Hookstadt, who distributed a match-best 50 assists. Defensively, Kohout led all players with 24 digs while Buchholz recorded a match-high 11 blocks to complete her double-double. Ristow and Schultz narrowly missed double-doubles with nine and eight digs, respectively.

For NYIT, senior Dena McKinney (Fishkill, N.Y./Dutchess CC) and junior Shelby Klein (Orange, Calif./El Modena) each posted double digits with 15 and 12 kills, respectively. Freshman Emily Syers (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow) served as the primary setter for the Bears with 40 assists. On the defensive side of the net, senior Katie Hoffman (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) chalked up 19 digs while McKinney narrowly missed a double-double with nine blocks (two solo).

The Ravens (16-16, 7-5 NE-10) return to the court on Friday, Nov. 7, when they travel to Massachusetts Lowell for a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Match time is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Costello Gymnasium in Lowell, Mass. New Haven (22-3, 11-0 NE-10) returns to action on Nov. 4 at Merrimack while NYIT (10-25, 6-8 ECC) plays next on Nov. 4 at Mercy.