DUDLEY, Mass. (10/9/24) – On Wednesday night, the Nichols College women's volleyball team fell by a 3-0 (23-25, 14-25, 16-25) score in a mid-week conference showdown against Endicott College at the Nichols Athletic Center.

The Bison drop to 3-10 (0-3 CNE) on the season, while Endicott improves to 12-5 (4-0 CNE).

Junior Kya Burdier and sophomore Maille Ianniruberto each led the offense with five kills apiece, with Burdier also contributing six helpers in the effort. Senior Ruby St. Onge also led with nine assists on the night, while classmate Luna Colozzo produce nine digs to bolster the defense.  

Nichols set the tone early in the first set, building a quick 6-1 lead over the Gulls. However, Endicott battled back with a balanced attack to eventually tie the set at 10-all, which would lead to seven more ties down the stretch. Things eventually came to a 23-23 standoff, before Endicott fired off back-to-back kills to win the set, 25-23.

The Endicott offense started heating up in the second stanza, as an 8-1 run at the midway point helped them build a lopsided 16-5 advantage over the Bison. Shortly thereafter, Nichols started showing signs of life as kills from St. Onge and Burdier split a 4-0 run for the Bison, thinning Endicott's advantage to 20-12. Despite the improved Bison effort, the Endicott lead would prove to be too much to overcome, resulting in a 25-14 Gulls win in set two.  

In the third, the Bison were once again tasked with overcoming an early deficit, as the Gulls climbed out in front by an 8-3 margin. The Bison proceeded to win seven of the next 12 rallies to reduce Endicott's lead to just 13-10, but not before the Gulls rattled off an 8-3 run to stretch the lead back out to eight points at 21-13. The Gulls would go on to win the third set 25-16, completing the sweep.  

Women's volleyball will host Wheaton College (6-12, 0-5 NEWMAC) tomorrow, October 10^th for their final non-conference home match of the 2024 season. Opening serve is set for 7:00 PM at the Nichols Athletic Center.