PAXTON, Mass. (9/11/23) - The Nichols College women's volleyball team upped its win streak to six matches with a 3-1 (25-16, 25-12, 21-25, 25-19) triumph over non-conference host Anna Maria College (GNAC) on Monday evening at the Fuller Activities Center.

For Nichols, the 2023 season remains unblemished as the Bison improve to 6-0 overall with the win. The AMCATS drop to 1-5 on the season with the loss.
It was a great evening for junior outside hitter Luna Colozzo, who tallied a new career-high 18 kills with 14 digs for her first double-double of the 2023 season, all also behind a .400 hitting percentage in the match. Senior Haylee Granato contributed a combination of 14 kills and 14 digs, marking her fifth double-double of the season, while fellow senior Liz Diorio led all floor players with 27 digs. Additionally, junior middle hitter Ryley Plourde added in 11 kills for the Bison.

A fast start in the first set, aided by six Anna Maria offensive errors, saw Nichols jump out to an early 10-3 advantage. The Bison eventually would climb to as high as a ten-point lead in the frame, additionally limiting the AMCATS to no more than three consecutive points on one occasion. As a result, Nichols established early control with a 25-16 first set win.  

The momentum only grew for the Bison in the second set, which started on an equally hot note. From an early 10-5 lead. Nichols furthered their lead by outscoring the AMCATS 10-4, bringing the action to a 20-9 score. With the defense continuing to limit the options for the hosts, the AMCATS would fail to score more than a pair of points at a time, surrendering the second set by a 25-12 score to the Bison.

After a resurgence in the third set, Anna Maria rode their own momentum into the fourth set, getting out to a 10-4 lead with the help of seven total errors by the Bison. However, the large lead would be short lived as Nichols stormed back with a 5-0 run, shaving the score down to 11-9. Not long after, Nichols would then go on to tie the set up at 14 apiece with a 4-0 run, ultimately outscoring the AMCATS by a 10-1 margin, claiming the lead back by a 20-15 score, forcing an Anna Maria timeout. After the brief pause, the Bison would place themselves in match-point position with three consecutive strikes, before eventually finishing the job by a 24-19 score.

Up next for women's volleyball is a rematch against Fisher College on their court this Wednesday, September 13^th at 7PM from Pappas Gymnasium.