Sophomore hammers 17 kills in five-set win

Box Score vs. Stonehill
Box Score vs. Mercy 

EASTON, Mass. (October 1, 2011) – Sophomore middle Katie Jackson (Centennial, Colo.) recorded a career-best 17 kills on Saturday afternoon to lead the Franklin Pierce University volleyball team to a 3-2 win over Mercy in non-conference play at Stonehill's Merkert Gymnasium. Earlier in the day, Franklin Pierce dropped a 3-0 decision to the host Skyhawks in a Northeast-10 Conference match.

With the split, Franklin Pierce moves to 7-8 (1-3 Northeast-10). Against Stonehill, Franklin Pierce dropped the match in straight sets, 25-20, 25-13 and 25-18 before bouncing back in the second match of the day. Mercy took the first set from the Ravens, 25-17, but Franklin Pierce answered with a 25-17 win of its own in the second set. The third set went long, with Mercy squeaking out a 30-28 win before the Ravens stormed to the victory with 25-18 and 15-6 wins in the fourth and fifth sets, respectively.

Against Stonehill, freshman outside hitter Catie Swiderski (Rocky Point, N.Y.) led the offense with seven kills, as the Ravens hit just .009 with 23 kills and 22 errors over 106 attacks. Swiderski was the only Raven to notch more than five kills, as sophomore setter Stephanie Svorinic (Scottsdale, Ariz.) was held to just 18 assists. On the other side of the net, sophomore defensive specialist Michelle Marguette (North Kingstown, R.I.) led the team with 14 digs, while sophomore libero Lauren Miller (Alexandria, Ind.) chipped in 11 of her own.

For Stonehill, sophomore outside hitter Sydney Maxey led the way with an 11-kill, 11-dig double-double. Offensively, she was joined in double digits by sophomore right side Kristen Arvidson (10 kills), while senior outside hitter Laura Huselton and sophomore defensive specialist Jessica Frankowski each recorded 13 digs defensively. The offense ran through the set of freshman Emily Iverson, who dished out 33 assists.

Against Mercy, Jackson led five Ravens in double digits with 17 kills, which bettered her previous career high of 16, set earlier this season in a four-set win over Merrimack. Joining her were sophomore middle Ashley Bruce (Hampton Falls, N.H.) with 12 kills, freshman middle Jocelyn Smith (Groton, Conn.) with 11, and both sophomore right side Natasha Ray (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Swiderski with 10 each. The quintet accounted for all but one of the Franklin Pierce kills in the match working again off the set of Svorinic, who topped 50 assists for the first time in her career, with 52.

The Raven offense found a much better rhythm against the Mavericks, as Franklin Pierce hit .280 this time around with 61 kills and 16 errors over 161 attempts. The Ravens served up 14 aces in the match, led by a career-best seven from Miller. It marked the second time this season Franklin Pierce reached double digits in aces as a team, and was the most aces for the Ravens in a match since Sept. 4, 2010, when they served up 23 against Bowie State.

Both Ray and Swiderski would finish double-doubles with 12 and 17 digs, respectively, with the latter tying for the match lead. Also in double digits defensively, both for the second time of the day, were Miller (16 digs) and Marguette (10). At the net, Smith and Bruce each collected three block assists.

For Mercy, a two-pronged attack of freshman outside hitter Brenna White and sophomore outside hitter Nicolette Gebhardt were the only Mavericks to collect more than six kills in the match. White finished with a match-best 27, while Gebhardt matched Jackson with 17. Mercy featured a dual-setter offense, as freshman Michala Askew dished out 31 assists, while classmate McKenna Ronan added 23 more. Defensively, freshman defensive specialist Ericka Kane led five Mercy players in double digits with 17 digs. White completed a double-double with 14 digs.

The Ravens return to the court on Tuesday, Oct. 4, when they return home to host Bentley in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Fieldhouse in Rindge.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics).