SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (11/10/22) – The Franklin Pierce University volleyball team drew a tough matchup in the opening round the NE10 postseason, facing off against the region's top squad American International College Yellowjackets. Despite a strong performance in the opening set, the end result came as a 3-0 loss for the Ravens, whose season came to a close on Thursday evening by set scores of 25-23, 25-16 and 25-15.

Franklin Pierce concludes the 2022 campaign with a 10-13 (5-7 NE10) overall record, having ended the regular season on a high note with three straight victories to claim a playoff spot. AIC, following the quarterfinal triumph, continues onward with a 27-2 (11-1 NE10) overall record.

In the early goings of the first set, a 5-1 run by the Ravens saw the team claw back from an early 6-2 deficit, featuring a solo kill from senior Tessa Brandt (Foster, R.I.) along with some assistance from four AIC attacking errors. Later down the stretch, the Ravens seized an opportunity to distance themselves from the Yellowjackets, scoring nine out of twelve points including two kills from senior Ingrid Lindstrom (Dudley, Mass.) for a 19-14 lead. However, a persistent AIC offense saw the Yellowjackets storm back with a 7-1 run, re-establishing their lead at 21-20. After both teams traded points, a 3-0 spurt by AIC placed the Yellowjackets at set point, before officially closing it out with a final kill.

Early in the second frame, the Ravens once again saw themselves trailing from behind, but ran into bigger problems off of five unanswered points by AIC. With the Yellowjacket lead now at 14-7, the Raven attack simply couldn't find its rhythm, sputtering to no more than two consecutive points throughout the remainder of the set. On the other end of the court, AIC's attack remained continual with a late 6-1 scoring run, eventually cruising to a second set victory for the 2-0 match lead.

The third set was more or less a similar story for Pierce, who again found themselves in an early hole. AIC, in an effort to provide a cushion to a 6-4 lead, distanced themselves with a 7-2 run to bring the score to 13-6. Following a timeout, the Ravens continued to get past the AIC defensive game, once again allotting no more than two points at a time. Additionally, the Yellowjackets would continue to bolster their own lead, cruising to a lopsided 25-15 third set victory to seal the sweep.

In their final collegiate matches, seniors Mariah Robles (West Covina, Calif.) and Ingrid Lindstrom led the Ravens in kills, earning nine and six through the evening respectively. Freshman Annaka Lindstrom (Dudley, Mass.) recorded a total 23 assists in the effort, while junior libero Morgan Schmutzler (Lockport, Ill.) finished with a match-high 22 digs.