RINDGE, N.H. (September 16, 2017) – Franklin Pierce University senior middle blocker Hannah St. Jean (Olympia, Wash.) led all players with 15 kills, a .433 hitting percentage and a game-best 10 total blocks as the Ravens bested Northeast-10 Conference opponent Merrimack College 3-1 (25-21, 29-31, 25-15, 25-13) on Saturday afternoon in The Fieldhouse. With the win, the Ravens snap a six match losing skid and improve to 3-7 overall, 1-0 in league play while the Warriors drop to 2-7, 0-1 NE10.

St. Jean's 10 total stuffs were the second most over her four year collegiate career. She recorded 11 in a single contest during a home match her freshman year versus NYIT on October 3, 2014.

Teammate Danielle Varricchio (Boynton Beach, Fla.) added 14 kills on the offensive end and dug seven attempted kills on defense. Middle Blocker Abigail Garnhart (Colorado Springs, Colo.) tallied eight kills and two blocks while Hannah Runge (Deltona, Fla.) dished out a team-high 25 assists. Runge is 45 helpers away from 3,000 for her career.

For the Warriors, Mary Kate McCarroll racked up a squad-best 12 kills in the setback to go along with six digs, three blocks and two aces. Sophomore middle hitter Catherine Flaherty recorded 11 kills, eight digs and four total stuffs. Franklin Pierce won the battle at the net as they outblocked Merrimack by a 21-to-14 margin.

FPU held a 7-4 lead following a few serves as St. Jean and junior outside hitter Brittney Carias (Burlingame, Calif.) skied up for a stuff at the net. Merrimack would knot the score at 11 all using an ace from Rosie Sperduto who placed the ball perfectly near a Raven player who dove and couldn't hit the ball in the air. Both squads traded points and possessions until the Ravens scored three in a row off a service error, a Varricchio kill from the left side and a Mary Pease (East Haddam, Conn.) fake set to push FPU up 20-18. Merrimack quickly called a timeout and came within one at 22-21 before a Runge ace gave the Ravens the first set victory.

St. Jean began the second set with a solo stuff of Sofia Basauri to move the Ravens ahead 1-0 in the early going. Merrimack would tie the set 2-2 as McCarroll lofted a serve that clanked off a diving Raven players arm and went out of play for an ace. The Ravens held a one point lead before Pease and St. Jean combined for a dual block to up their advantage to 9-7. Merrimack would earn that point back immediately as McCarroll completed an easy kill from the right side. A few serves passed before Pease and St. Jean again teamed up for a double block to move the Ravens ahead 11-9. Franklin Pierce increased their advantage to 15-11 following a Merrimack attack error, but the Warriors came within one at 16-15. The next two serves didn't go as planned for the Warriors as they committed errors on each attempted kill and they stopped play with a timeout.

The stoppage worked in Merrimack's favor as they recorded six straight points to take a 21-18 lead. The guests lead stayed at three, 23-20 until the Ravens racked up three consecutive markers which included another St. Jean block to tie the score. A Sofia Basauri block gave Merrimack set point, but a McCarroll service error tied the set at 24 all as extra serves were needed. Both teams' swapped serves over the next few possessions as a Varricchio kill put the Ravens ahead 27-26. The point trading continued until McCarroll ended the set with back to back kills to give Merrimack the 31-29 second set victory and more importantly tie the match at 1-1.

Merrimack started off set three fast jumping ahead 3-0 on the strength of an ace and two Raven attack errors. The Ravens would pull ahead by three, 11-8 by using a Varricchio kill which forced the guests into an early timeout. The Warriors kept hanging in there with the Ravens as a Christina Nye set and Basauri kill brought them within two at 15-13. Franklin Pierce would close the set by rattling off a 10-2 run which included five consecutive points to end the set as two Runge and St. Jean blocks would be the decisive blow in the crucial third set.

Set four saw the Warriors hold an early advantage, but the Ravens quickly responded with two separate binges. Trailing 4-2, FPU scored four straight with kills coming from Ofeira Petaia (Honolulu, Hawaii), Runge and St. Jean to put FPU in the driver's seat at 6-4. Merrimack would notch a point on the next possession at 6-5, but that would be the closest they would come in set four as the Ravens added nine points in a row on to the score board which increased their lead to 15-5. Freshman outside hitter Sam Bitner (Titusville, Fla.) put the exclamation point on the Ravens victory as she rifled a rocket from the right side hard into the court for the 22nd point. St. Jean capped off the win with her 10th block of the contest.

The Ravens head out on the road for a four game road swing as they travel to NE10 opponent Bentley on Tuesday for a 7:00 p.m. conference duel.

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).