DUDLEY, Mass. (9/5/23) – It was a perfect opening to the 2023 home schedule for the Nichols College women's volleyball program, as they swept non-conference visitor Fisher College (NAIA) by a score of 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-15) at the Nichols Athletic Center.

The win boosts the Bison to 2-0 on the young season, while the Falcons fall to 0-2 with the setback.

Senior outside hitter Haylee Granato dominated at the net for the Bison, hammering home a match leading 16 kills and three service aces, as well as 12 digs to complete the double-double effort. Also in the mix was junior middle hitter Ryley Plourde, who finished with 11 kills on the night, and senior libero Liz Diorio with a match-best 21 digs.

The early stages if the first set saw three different lead swaps between the Bison and the Falcons, with Nichols eventually jetting away with the score off a 6-1 run midway through. From a 21-14 advantage, the host Bison secured the early set victory with four unanswered points, which marked their fourth 4-0 run of the first frame.

In the second set, the Falcons started showing some signs of life after eventually falling behind by a 21-12 margin. A 7-1 scoring stretch quickly saw the visitors back in contention, but a final pair of kills by Granato and Ploude along with a setting error by Fisher put the finishing touches on a 25-20 second set, in favor of Nichols.

Leading 2-0 in the match, the Bison quickly regained their scoring form with an explosive 9-0 run in the third set, giving them a 12-5 edge. Later on down the stretch, from a 16-11 score, Nichols continued to overwhelm the opposition with five unanswered strikes, fueling an eventual 25-15 final set score to complete the three-set sweep.

Women's volleyball hits the road for a lengthy stretch before returning to the Nichols Athletic Center, where the next matchup will feature Commonwealth Coast Conference opponent Suffolk University for a Noon matinee first serve.