DUDLEY , MASS. – The Nichols College women's volleyball team fell to Roger Williams University 3-0 (15-25, 12-25, 15-25) in a conference match up on Saturday afternoon.
With the loss, the Bison drop to 6-13 (1-4 CNE), while the Hawks improve to 9-8 (5-0 CNE).
Freshman
Alyssa Morse led the Bison with six kills and added nine digs on the defensive end.
Maille Ianniruberto and
Kya Burdier contributed six and three kills.
Mairead Frost recorded a service ace, while Ianniruberto continued to be a force at the net with a block. Graduate student
Ruby St. Onge dished out 16 assists and also tallied nine digs. Junior
Elizabeth Mullen anchored the defense with a team-high 11 digs.
The Hawks opened the match strong, taking control midway through the first set and capitalizing on Bison errors to pull ahead. Nichols stayed competitive, with Morse and Ianniruberto each recording multiple kills to keep the score close at 7–6 before the Hawks went on a decisive run. Despite the Bison's efforts, Roger Williams closed the set on a 9–3 run to make it 25–15.
The hawks continued to keep the pressure on the Bison in the second with an early 11-3 lead. The Bison attempted to cut it down with some crucial kills from
Gabrielle McKayle and Ianniruberto but similarly to the first set, Roger Williams maintained their composure and finished out on a 5-2 run sealing the match 25-12.
In the third and final set, the Bison came out determined to extend the match, trading early points with the Hawks before Roger Williams pulled ahead behind a strong serving stretch. The duo of Morse and Ianniruberto landed key kills to keep Nichols within reach, while Burdier added an offensive spark with a kill. The Bison were firing on all cylinders with Frost delivering a service ace midway through the set to cut the deficit to 17–11, giving the Bison a late burst of energy. Despite the push, Roger Williams capitalized on a few Nichols errors and maintained their momentum down the stretch, taking the set 25–15 to close out the match.
The Bison will be back at home for their next conference matchup against UMass Boston at 6:00pm on Wednesday October 15th.
