DUDLEY, MASS. - The Nichols College women's volleyball dominated for their first match of conference play against The University of Hartford in a 3-0 shutout  (25-19, 25-13, 25-20) at the Nichols Athletic Center on Wednesday evening.

With the win, the Bison record improves to 5-9 (1-0 CNE) and the Hawks drop to 3-7 (0-1 CNE).

Graduate student Ruby St. Onge orchestrated the offense with 17 assists while also surpassing the 1,000 career assist milestone and added 3 aces from the service line. The Bison came out the better offensive team, hitting .200 thanks to senior Kya Burdier who powered the attack with a team-high 11 kills while hitting an impressive .421, supported by first year Alyssa Morse (9) and senior Mairead Frost (6). Freshman Brooke Partridge chipped in 10 assists and 8 digs, giving the Bison a lift on both ends of the court. On defense, Junior Elizabeth Mullen anchored the back row with 15 digs, while Morse contributed 12 of her own. Burdier, senior Maille Ianniruberto, and sophomore Gabrielle McKayle each tallied a block, helping the Bison slow down Hart's hitters. Frost and Ianniruberto also made their presence felt behind the line with 2 aces apiece.

The Bison controlled the first set from the opening serve, quickly building a 10-2 lead with kills from Burdier, Morse, and Ianniruberto, all assisted by St. Onge. While the momentum was firmly in Nichols' favor, Hartford responded with an 8-2 run that cut the deficit to just two. The Bison regrouped, regained control, and steadily extended their lead before a kill by Jhudny Pierre closed out the set, 25-19.

Nichols kept their foot on the gas in the second set, jumping out to a 10-4 advantage over Hartford. This time, the Bison never let up, overwhelming the Hawks with relentless offense. Morse sparked the run with back-to-back aces, and the rest of the lineup followed suit, attacking from all angles to put the set out of reach. Nichols closed strong, finishing the frame with a commanding 25-13 victory.

With victory within reach, the Bison looked to close out the third set as quickly as the second. This set proved far more competitive, with the Hawks establishing a lead and holding it as long as they could. Both teams traded points early, resulting in four ties and multiple one-point lead changes. Hartford began to pull away with a five-point surge, but Frost responded with a timely kill, sparking a six-point run from Nichols to take the lead. The back-and-forth continued, with Nichols maintaining a slight edge, until the Bison capitalized on Hawks' errors and a thunderous kill from Gabrielle McKayle sealed the set, 25-20, completing the 3-0 sweep.

The Bison will be back home to host Fitchburg State University (0-11, 0-1 MASCAC) at the Nichols Athletic Center on Friday, September 26th 7:00pm at the Nichols Athletic Center