DUDLEY, Mass. (10/10/2026) – The Nichols College women's volleyball team picked up its second conference win of the season and extended its winning streak to two matches with a 3-2 victory (19-25, 25-18, 25-15, 20-19, 15-9) over Suffolk University this afternoon at Smith Court.
With the win, the Bison improve to 4-13 overall and 2-3 in Conference of New England (CNE) play, while the Rams fall to 7-10 overall and 0-5 in conference action.
Freshman
Sofia Novak led the Bison offensively, recording her first career double-double with a match-high 13 kills and 13 digs while hitting .205.
Alyssa Morse added 10 kills, a career-high seven service aces, and 20 digs.
Liliana Bottone contributed nine kills, while Novak and
Jhudny Pierre each added three service aces.
Naseem Hennouch and
Lena Heini helped facilitate the offense, dishing out 22 and 14 assists, respectively.
Kaitlyn Rodrigues anchored the Bison's defense with 24 digs, while Morse added 20 and Hennouch contributed 15.
Suffolk jumped out to an early 3-1 lead before Nichols battled back to tie the set at 3-3. The Rams responded with a 3-0 run to regain the lead, but the Bison responded behind kills from Morse, Novak, and Pierre to even the score at 9-9. The teams traded points through the middle of the set, with Novak and Morse keeping Nichols within striking distance. However, Suffolk used a late run to build a 21-16 advantage and maintained its momentum down the stretch, taking the opening set 25-19.
Nichols responded in the second set, overcoming an early 3-1 deficit with a 4-0 run behind a kill and service ace from Morse to take a 4-3 lead. After Suffolk briefly regained the advantage, the Bison caught fire at the service line, using a 4-0 run fueled by Heini, who recorded a kill and two service aces, to build a 9-5 lead. Nichols continued to apply pressure, with Novak and Pierre contributing defensively at the net before Hennouch sparked another run with a service ace and a kill from Morse, extending the Bison's lead to 17-11. Nichols maintained control down the stretch, with Bottone and Joquin adding key kills to help the Bison close out the set, 25-18, and even the match at one set apiece.
The Bison came out strong in the third set, jumping to an 8-0 lead behind a pair of service aces from Morse and kills from Pratt. Nichols continued to build its advantage, reaching a 12-6 lead before Suffolk began to chip away. Heini added a service ace, while Novak and Joquin contributed key kills to keep the Bison in front. Nichols maintained control late in the set, with Morse recording another kill and service ace before Novak closed it out with back-to-back aces, giving the Bison a 25-15 win and a 2-1 match lead.
Suffolk took control early in the fourth set, building a 10-4 lead behind a pair of service aces and a strong defensive presence at the net. Nichols battled back with kills from Bottone and Morse, while
Julianna Tinari added a service ace to help cut into the deficit. The Bison continued to fight, with Novak, Pierre, and
Rayna Joquin contributing key kills to keep the set close. However, Suffolk held off the late push, closing out the set 25-20 to force a deciding fifth set.
The Bison took control in the deciding fifth set, using a strong run to build a 5-1 lead behind a kill from Pratt, a service ace from Morse, and a Novak kill assisted by Hennouch. Suffolk fought back to cut the deficit, but Nichols responded with key plays from Joquin and Pierre at the net to stay in front. After the Rams pulled within two, the Bison closed out the match with a decisive 4-0 run, highlighted by kills from Novak and Bottone, to secure the 15-9 set victory and a 3-2 match win.
The Bison will take a break from conference play for their next matchup as they head to South Hadley, Massachusetts to take on the Lyons of Mount Holyoke College on Thursday, October 15th at 6:00 PM.
