Ray, Swiderski notch double-doubles

RINDGE, N.H. (October 25, 2011) – Sophomore middle Katie Jackson (Centennial, Colo.) hit .321, posted 11 kills and was one of four Ravens in double digits offensively on Tuesday night, as the Franklin Pierce University volleyball team notched a 3-1 win over Saint Anselm in Northeast-10 Conference play at the Fieldhouse. Senior outside hitter Charlotte Tencza hammered out 21 kills in defeat for Saint Anselm to lead all players.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 11-11 (5-6 Northeast-10), while Saint Anselm falls to 7-14 (2-8 Northeast-10). After Saint Anselm rallied to take the first set, 27-25, Franklin Pierce rattled off 25-19, 25-23 and 25-21 victories to take the match.

With the match tied at 1-1, the Ravens trailed in the third set by as many as five, as late as 20-15, before back-to-back kills by freshman outside hitter Catie Swiderski (Rocky Point, N.Y.) closed the gap to 20-17. After Saint Anselm stopped the quick run, Swiderski put away another ball to make it 21-18. From there, Saint Anselm committed a pair of errors to draw the Ravens within a point at 21-20 and prompt Hawks Head Coach Kelly Murphy to take a timeout. Out of the break, Saint Anselm made it 22-20, but then the Ravens got kills from sophomore middle Ashley Bruce (Hampton Falls, N.H.) and Swiderski, as well as a service ace by Swiderski to take the lead at 23-22. Bruce later put away set point to give Franklin Pierce a 25-23 win and a 2-1 lead in the match, which they would not relinquish.

For Franklin Pierce, sophomore right side Natasha Ray (Colorado Springs, Colo.) led four players in double digits with 13 kills. Behind her and Jackson, Swiderski and Bruce added 10 each. Freshman middle Jocelyn Smith (Groton, Conn.) chipped in five kills while hitting a match-best .333 (minimum 10 attempts) over 12 attempts. The Ravens ran the offense through sophomore setter Stephanie Svorinic (Scottsdale, Ariz.), who dished out 44 assists. Franklin Pierce served up 10 aces on the evening, led by three each from sophomore defensive specialist Michelle Marguette (North Kingstown, R.I.) and sophomore libero Lauren Miller (Alexandria, Ind.).

Defensively, Miller led three Ravens in double figures with 17 digs, while Ray and Swiderski completed double-doubles with 14 and 13, respectively. Up front, Smith collected a match-best four block assists.

For Saint Anselm, sophomore outside hitter Kyla Gustavson (13 kills) and senior middle Lauren Ross (10) also both finished in double digits behind Tencza, who hit .283 over 46 attempts. The trio worked off the set of freshman Natalie Steinwart, who handed out a match-high 47 assists.

Defensively, junior libero Margaret Tereschuk led all players with 22 digs, while Steinwart picked up 13 to complete her double-double.

The Ravens return to the court on Friday, Oct. 28, when they travel to Adelphi for a Northeast-10 Conference match. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Center for Recreation and Sport in Garden City, N.Y. Franklin Pierce next plays at home on Saturday, Nov. 5 against Assumption at 1 p.m.

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).