Garcia hammers 16 kills, Jackson factors in on 11 blocks

RINDGE, N.H. (November 9, 2013) – Freshman middle Aiden Garcia (Eagle Pass, Texas) hit .414 with 16 kills on Saturday afternoon, and senior middle Katie Jackson (Centennial, Colo.) piled up 11 block assists to lead a 13-block showing as the Franklin Pierce University volleyball team posted a 3-2 win over Saint Rose in a pivotal Northeast-10 Conference match in the Fieldhouse. Sophomore right side Carissa Dube hit .424 with 17 kills -- both match bests -- in defeat for Saint Rose.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 12-7 (7-5 Northeast-10), while Saint Rose falls to 17-4 (9-3 Northeast-10). Saint Rose posted a 25-19 win in the first set, as Franklin Pierce hit just .091. From there, the Ravens ratcheted up the defense, holding Saint Rose to .029 and -.106 in 25-13 and 25-12 wins in the second and third sets, respectively. The Golden Knights staved off the loss by hitting .382 in a 25-18 fourth-set win, but dropped back to -.056 in a 15-10, fifth-set loss. The Ravens honored the accomplishments of their six-player senior class before the start of the match.

When the dust settled on the day's play in the Northeast-10, Franklin Pierce was tied for seventh with Southern New Hampshire, with the teams occupying the league's final two postseason spots with two matches to play. Both currently sit one game in front of ninth-place American International. Southern New Hampshire will travel to Franklin Pierce on Tuesday night for a match which will have significant implications. Meanwhile, Saint Rose was ranked sixth in the East Region heading into the week, so the win will significantly boost Franklin Pierce's quest for a spot in the eight-team regional field.

With the match tied at 2-2, Saint Rose took two of the first three points in the decisive fifth set, but the 2-1 lead would be the final advantage the Golden Knights held on the afternoon. Back-to-back kills by sophomore outside hitter Sydni Schulz (Cypress, Texas) and Garcia, followed by an ace from senior outside hitter Natasha Ray (Colorado Springs, Colo.), prompted a Saint Rose timeout at 4-2. The Golden Knights took two points out of the timeout to tie it at 4-4, but the Ravens ran off the next three to lead at 7-4. Franklin Pierce would push the lead as high as 13-7, but then Saint Rose threatened a late comeback with three straight points to close the gap to 13-10. Franklin Pierce used a timeout there and was able to refocus quickly. Jackson and Ray teamed up for a block on the first point out of the timeout to create the match's only match point. On the next point, Jackson put away her fifth and final kill of the day to send the Ravens away winners.

Franklin Pierce had a monster day of net-line defense on Saturday afternoon, piling up 13 blocks for the second time in 2013. Jackson led the way with 11 block assists, a new career-best for her, as she became the first Raven to have at least 11 blocks in a match since Nicole Buchholz '09 had 11 against New York Tech on Nov. 1, 2008. Ray was not far behind, as she chipped in seven block assists of her own, and four more Ravens factored in on two blocks apiece.

The Ravens also served effectively all afternoon long, picking up seven aces against only four service errors. Three different Franklin Pierce players had two aces each. In contrast, Saint Rose managed only four aces, but committed seven service errors in the match.

Offensively, Garcia was the biggest threat in an offense which needed to hit only .145 to pick up the win behind the team's defensive effort. Schulz was also in double digits with 13 kills, while Ray and junior outside hitter Catie Swiderski (Rocky Point, N.Y.) added nine each. Franklin Pierce worked off the set of senior Stephanie Svorinic (Scottsdale, Ariz.), who dished out 48 assists.

In terms of back-line defense, senior libero Lauren Miller (Alexandria, Ind.) led the team with 24 digs. She was joined in double digits by three of her teammates: sophomore defensive specialist Sarah MacHugh (Red Hook, N.Y.) with 15, Schulz with 13 and Ray with 10.

Meanwhile, the Franklin Pierce defense held Saint Rose to just a .114 hitting percentage on the afternoon. Dube was the only bright spot, as three different Golden Knights (minimum 10 attempts) amassed more errors than kills to be left with negative hitting percentages. Dube was the only Saint Rose player in double digits, though senior middle Alex Gagliano contributed eight kills and freshman middle Maryellen Devic added seven more. The Golden Knights worked off the dual set of juniors Tori Daniels (18 assists) and Ariana Wilson (11).

Saint Rose also had a big blocking day, with 12 blocks as a team, while committing a pair of blocking errors to net 10 points in its blocking game. Gagliano led the way with seven blocks (two solo), while Devic chipped in four (one solo). In the back row, junior libero Katy Daniels led all players with 26 digs, while three other Golden Knights reached double digits as well: senior outside hitter Christina Strezenec (17 digs), Wilson (11) and Tori Daniels (10).

The Ravens return to the court on Tuesday, Nov. 12, when they remain home to host Southern New Hampshire in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at the Fieldhouse.

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). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce volleyball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).