Volleyball Concludes Non-Conference Slate, Turns Focus to NE10 Games

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (September 15, 2018) – The Franklin Pierce University volleyball team ended their tough non-conference schedule with a 3-0 (19-25, 19-25, 17-25) defeat at the hands of Daemen College Saturday morning on the campus of Roberts Wesleyan College.

The Ravens won only four games over their non-conference schedule and will look to turn the page and head back into Northeast-10 Conference play.

Junior outside hitter Sarah Roach (Provo, Utah) paced the Ravens attack with a team-best nine kills to go along with a .214 hitting percentage, four digs, and two blocks. Junior defensive specialist Jocelyn Moody (Biddeford, Maine) and freshman middle blocker Breanna Mineweaser (Honey Brook, Pa.) chipped in five kills each while Moody contributed 12 digs on the defensive end. Junior libero Marisa Lamb (Pheonix, Ariz.) tallied a game-high 19 digs and Brittney Carias (Burlingame, Calif.) added six digs on defense. Carias sits only six digs away (994) from becoming the eighth member in program history to reach 1,000 career digs.

A Raven attack error gave Daemen a 4-1 advantage early in the first set. Trailing 5-2, the Ravens benefitted from a Daemen service error to cut the deficit to 5-3 in the early going. Five consecutive points by the Wildcats capped off by a Sam Logan kill gave them a 10-3 advantage. Logan pushed Daemen in front by nine 14-5 as her attack attempt clanked off a Raven blocker. Franklin Pierce kept chipping away at the deficit to bring it to a four-point set, 16-12 following four consecutive markers including a junior middle blocker Abigail Garnhart (Colorado Springs, Colo.) kill. A few possessions later, Carias brought the Ravens within three at 19-16 by converting a set by Lamb for a kill. Daemen eventually took the set 25-19.

The Ravens took a 3-2 lead as Sarah Roach rocked home a kill. Daemen held a three-point, 8-5 edge, but the Ravens came back to take a one-point lead 10-9 when Garnhart blocked Tirzah Peters at the net. Both squads traded possessions until Daemen notched four consecutive points to move back in front 17-13. A Mineweaser kill and a Wildcat attack error brought the Ravens within two 18-16, however, Daemen out produced the Crimson and Grey 7-3 across the next 10 possessions to win the set and lead the match 2-0.

In the third set, FPU was ahead 2-0 via a Moody and Roach kill. The squads swapped points back and forth until four straight miscues by Daemen pushed the Ravens ahead 12-8. The Wildcats tied the set 16-16 when Tirza Peters converted an attack attempt. The Wildcats responded by outscoring the Ravens 9-1 to take the set 25-17 and the match 3-0.

The Ravens head back to the court on Tuesday when they take on Merrimack at 7:00 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://fpuravens.com). 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 apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://fpuravens.com/store). You can also follow the volleyball program on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FPURavensVB) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fpuravensvb/).