RINDGE, N.H. (November 8, 2014) – The Franklin Pierce volleyball team had only one option on Saturday afternoon: to win. The door was left open by LeMoyne after their loss to Bentley earlier in the day, allowing Franklin Pierce to grab the final playoff spot in the Northeast-10 Conference tournament. They did just that. The Ravens hit .342 as a team and swiftly put away the Southern Connecticut State Owls by a final of 3-0.

The day belonged to senior Catie Swiderski (Rocky Point, N.Y.), who finished with 11 kills on 22 attempts, giving her an attack percentage of .409 on the day. She was honored before the game for her on and off the court accomplishments while in crimson and grey since 2011.

The Ravens bounced back from a three-game losing skid, where they saw poor defense and an inconsistent offense. Everything seemed to work in the Ravens favor throughout the match, as solid defense and a well-executed attack led to the success. Franklin Pierce would come out firing in the first set, expanding a lead to 20-9 before going on a slight skid to end the set. The Ravens would prevail and down the Owls 25-17 to take the 1-0 lead. Only hard-nosed play from both sides was how things ran the rest of the way, as Southern Connecticut refused to go down without a fight. However, it wouldn't be enough to top the Ravens, as Franklin Pierce would win the second and third sets by scores of 25-17 to take the 3-0 sweep.

Backing up Swiderski's 11 kill effort was Aiden Garcia (Eagle Pass, TX), who ended her day with a game-high 12 kills and hitting percentage of .529. Also a key factor in the Ravens attack was freshman Hannah St. Jean (Olympia, Wash.), who chipped in nine kills on a .353 percentage. The solid attack percentage by the Ravens can also be credited to freshman setter Hannah Runge (Deltona, Fla.), who placed the ball around perfectly for 36 assists. Both Garcia and St. Jean were also key factors in the Ravens defense, as combined they accounted for five of the team's six blocks on the match. Junior libero Sarah MacHugh (Red Hook, N.Y.) would lead the way in digs with nine, while Garcia's defensive prowess gave her a second-best six digs.

For Southern Connecticut, they would get their attack from Alexandria Jurgens, who provided the Owls with a team-high seven kills. Backing up her effort would be Sean Taylor and Faith Ford, who each ended with five kills apiece. Taylor Carlson would provide the offense with 17 assists, while defensively the Owls struggled. Taylor would provide the Owls' lone block, while Carlson and Natasha Carlbert would pace the team in digs with four each.

With the win, another milestone was achieved, as it also marks the 300^th career victory of Head Coach Stephanie Dragan. She has spent her last six seasons in Rindge, and has tallied 61 victories and counting during her tenure at Franklin Pierce.

The Ravens will now return to the court on the road, as they will travel to Connecticut on Tuesday to face New Haven in the first round of the Northeast-10 Conference Championship.

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).