PROVIDENCE, R.I – The Nichols College women's volleyball team were defeated by Johnson and Wales University, dropping 3-0 (10-25, 13-25, 21-25) in a Conference of New England match up on Wednesday evening at the Wildcat Center.

With the loss, the Bison drop to 7-16 (1-6 CNE), while the Wildcats improve to 9-8 (3-1 CNE).

Kya Burdier led the charge with 6 kills, followed by Alyssa Morse with 5 and Jhudny Pierre with 3. Maille Ianniruberto and Brooke Partridge each delivered 2 aces, while Ianniruberto stood tall at the net with 4 blocks. Ruby St. Onge kept the offense flowing with 12 assists, and Elizabeth Mullen anchored the defense with 6 digs.

The Wildcats opened the match strong, jumping out to an early 9–4 lead by capitalizing on Bison miscues. Nichols tried to find their rhythm, highlighted by a kill from Morse off a set from St. Onge, but Johnson & Wales responded with a dominant 10-point run. The Wildcats maintained control for the rest of the set, taking it 25–10.

Johnson & Wales kept their momentum rolling into the second set, racing to a quick 6–0 advantage before a kill from Gabrielle McKayle broke the run. The Bison began to show flashes of life, trading points and chipping away at the lead, but the Wildcats' offense proved strong and  a late 7-point surge sealed the set for Johnson & Wales, 25–13.

The final set saw the Bison put up their toughest fight of the night. The Wildcats once again built an early cushion, but Nichols clawed back with key kills from Burdier and Pierre and forced several Wildcat errors. Down 10–18, the Bison refused to fold, stringing together a 6-point run sparked by a kill from Ianniruberto and anchored by strong defense from both Ianniruberto and Burdier. Nichols cut the deficit to just three, but their comeback fell short as a late error handed the final point. and the match, to Johnson & Wales 21-25.

The Bison will be on the road for their next conference match up against Curry College (5-14, 0-6 CNE) at the Katz Gymnasium on Monday, October 27th at 6:00 PM.