Ray piles up 17 kills, 15 digs

RINDGE, N.H. (September 24, 2011) – Sophomore right side Natasha Ray (Colorado Springs, Colo.) hammered out 17 kills and added 15 digs to finish her seventh double-double of the season on Saturday afternoon, but the Franklin Pierce University volleyball team dropped a 3-2 decision to New Haven in Northeast-10 Conference play at the Fieldhouse. Junior outside hitter Keidy Candelaria piled up a match-best 26 kills and added 14 digs in the win for New Haven.

With the loss, Franklin Pierce falls to 5-7 (0-2 Northeast-10), while New Haven improves to 6-4 (2-0 Northeast-10). Franklin Pierce opened with 25-18 and 25-22 victories to take a 2-0 lead, before New Haven charged back with 25-22, 25-15 and 15-12 victories to win the match.

With Franklin Pierce leading 2-0 and the third set tied at 13-13, New Haven would put together the charge that would prove to turn the tide of the match. After a kill by freshman middle Kristy Atufunwa gave the Chargers the serve, New Haven ran off four straight points on the serve of freshman outside hitter Margo Meteyer to jump to an 18-13 lead. Franklin Pierce would get as close as 24-22 later, after three straight kills by Ray, but ultimately, New Haven sophomore middle Amber Cannady put down the kill that won the third set.

The two teams weaved mirror-image tales against each other on the afternoon, as through two sets, Franklin Pierce was hitting .349 while New Haven struggled to a .205 mark. However, over the final three sets as New Haven took control, the Chargers improved to hit .240, while the Franklin Pierce offense sputtered to .132. When all was said and done, the Ravens hit .221 for the match (56 kills/22 errors/154 attempts), while New Haven posted a nearly identical .226 (71/31/177).

For the Ravens, Ray's 17 kills led three players in double digits, as sophomore middle Katie Jackson (Centennial, Colo.) added 13 while fellow sophomore middle Ashley Bruce (Hampton Falls, N.H.) chipped in 10. Freshman outside hitter Catie Swiderski (Rocky Point, N.Y.) narrowly missed joining the party, as she finished with nine kills. The offense, as always, ran through sophomore setter Stephanie Svorinic (Scottsdale, Ariz.), who dished out 44 assists. It marked the fourth time this year Svorinic topped 40 assists.

Defensively, Ray led Franklin Pierce in digs as well, this time leading four Ravens in double digits. Swiderski picked up 14, as did sophomore libero Lauren Miller (Alexandria, Ind.), while sophomore defensive specialist Michelle Marguette (North Kingstown, R.I.) added 11 of her own. At the net, Svorinic, Jackson and freshman middle Jocelyn Smith (Groton, Conn.) each picked up five blocks, as the Ravens recorded 11 as a team on the afternoon.

For New Haven, Candelaria's 26 kills carried much of the load, though Cannady added 14 and Meteyer contributed 13 more. The trio worked off the set of senior Chelsey Alpough, who led all players with 53 assists. Defensively, senior libero Heather Ladao led all players with 20 digs, while both Candelaria (14) and Meteyer (10) finished off their double-doubles. Freshman Kualana Ane chipped in 10 digs as well. Up front, both Cannady and Atufunwa collected three blocks each.

The Ravens return to the court on Tuesday, Sept. 27, when they remain home to host Southern New Hampshire in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. Match time 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).