GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (10/28/22) – The Franklin Pierce volleyball team faced one of its toughest challenges on the road Friday evening, clashing with the Northeast-10's strongest teams Adelphi University. Throughout the majority of the action, the Panthers maintained the lead and defeated the Ravens in straight sets for the twelfth time this season, winning by scores of 25-17, 25-15 and 25-18.

The loss is the fourth straight for Ravens volleyball, who slide to 7-12 (2-7 NE10) overall with the setback. Adelphi moves to 18-8 (9-1) overall, extending their streak to eleven straight wins.

Early on in the first set, the Ravens battled back from an early 4-1 deficit to tie the score at 5-5, spearheaded by consecutive points from senior Britney Loyd (Coppell, Texas). Both teams would continue to trade points with neither gaining any significant advantage over the other until the Panthers claimed a seven-point lead on a 6-2 run, putting themselves ahead 20-13. The new Panther lead would prove costly for the Ravens, eventually resulting in an Adelphi victory to open the night.

The Ravens would claim their first and only lead of the evening to open the second set, following successive kills from seniors Mariah Robles (West Covina, Calif.) and Tessa Brandt (Foster, R.I.). However, the Panthers quickly returned fire with a 10-3 run, and would then add four straight points on top of that to put themselves ahead by a 14-5 score. Despite receiving brief help from some offensive miscues by Adelphi, the Ravens once again fell victim to an overwhelming  Panther lead, falling down 2-0 in the match.

In the final frame, the Panthers appeared ready for the win with a quick 6-2 lead. However, the Ravens connected for three straight points which included a service ace and a kill from Mariah Robles, and a single kill from sophomore Hannah Hillis (San Clemente, Calif.) to bring the score to within one (6-5). The attacks for both sides continued to come in waves, as the next five points belonged to the Panthers, forcing a Franklin Pierce timeout while once again establishing a comfortable lead. From a 17-12 score, Hannah Hillis and junior libero Morgan Schmutzler (Lockport, Ill.) attempted to spark a comeback with back-to-back points, but Adelphi's persistent offense remained through the end of the set.

Mariah Robles led the Raven attack for the fifth straight match, tallying 11 total kills along with eight digs and a single block. Three separate players recorded a minimum 10 digs, including freshman setter Annaka Lindstrom (Dudley, Mass.) who additionally chalked up 27 assists and a pair of kills. Tessa Brandt also contributed 10 digs, while libero Morgan Schmutzler led the category with 16 on the night for the Ravens.

Volleyball will remain in the area for the second match of their two game road swing, where they will face Pace University in an early afternoon matinee with first serve at 1 p.m.