NASHUA, N.H. (10/12/24) – The Nichols College women's volleyball team picked up a much needed victory on Saturday afternoon at the Rivier University Tri-Match. The Bison first fell to Babson College (12-25, 7-25, 11-25) in straight sets, before defeating the host Raiders by the same score (31-29, 25-19, 25-17) at Muldoon Gymnasium.

The Bison are now 4-13 (0-3 CNE) on the season following the dual results.

The Bison offense was quiet against the Beavers, with senior Luna Colozzo leading the way with five total kills and a pair of service aces. However, the attack improved immensely in the second match against the Raiders, with Colozzo once again leading the way with 11 kills on .350 hitting. Hailey Wright and Ruby St. Onge both contributed double-figure assists with 12 and 13 respectively, while Liz Diorio bolstered the defense with 10 digs. As a team, the Bison hit .247 against the Raiders.  

Match #1 vs Babson College (17-1, 5-0 NEWMAC)

The Bison stuck with the Beavers early on in the first set, with the two teams locking up at 9-9 midway through. However, the Beavers stormed ahead with the next 12 of the next 13 points to turn the tie into a 19-11 lead, before ultimately winning the frame 25-12 on back-to-back Bison errors.

Babson dominated the second set, firing off nine unanswered points to go in front 9-0 early, forcing the Bison into a timeout halfway through the run. Despite Nichols' efforts to get back into the action, the Beavers continued to find the floor while also holding the Bison attack at bay, opening up as much as an 18-point lead in the set. Babson went on to win the set by a lopsided 25-7 score, furthering their match lead to 2-0. 

The third set was another tight battle early on, with both sides drawing even at 5-5. Babson eventually reclaimed the momentum by scoring the next five points, before later pulling further away with a 10-0 run to bring the action to set point, 24-10. The Beavers then completed the sweep with a final kill, winning 25-11 in the third. 

Match #2 vs Rivier University (10-8, 5-1 GNAC)

The opening set between the Bison and the Raiders was a high scoring affair. The two sides traded points up to a 10-9 Bison lead, before Nichols expanded their lead to 15-9 with a 5-0 run. However, the Raiders responded quickly with an 8-2 run, which flipped the lead in their favor at 18-17. The rest of the way, the two teams traded points all the way up to a 29-all tie, before the Bison seized the 31-29 win on a Raider error and Colozzo kill.

Rivier went in front 8-7 early in the second set, only for the Bison to connect for four straight kills to flip the lead in their favor, 11-7. Down the stretch, Nichols continued to build upon their advantage, opening up as much as a seven-point lead late on consecutive Wright service aces. Three straight points by the Raiders helped close the gap, but Colozzo put down one final kill to finish the set.

In the final set, the Bison wasted no time, taking a quick 12-6 lead. Nichols then fired off four more points to make it a 16-7 score, forcing the Raiders into a timeout. The Bison surge continued out of the break, with their lead growing to as much as 11 points late. A Rivier service error brough the action to match point, before Mairead Frost delivered the winning kill for the Bison, clinching the match 25-17.

The Bison will have a few days off before their next matchup on Wednesday, October 16^th, where they will travel to Suffolk University (17-4, 1-2 CNE) for a conference showdown at 7:00 PM.