UMass Lowell Runs Past Franklin Pierce, 3-1
River Hawks eliminate Ravens from postseason contention
RINDGE, N.H. (Nov. 2, 2004) – The
Franklin Pierce volleyball team saw its postseason aspirations come
to an end, as visiting UMass Lowell came up with a 3-1 (30-26,
25-30, 30-16, 30-13) Northeast-10 Conference victory tonight. After
dropping the opening game, the Ravens fought back to knot the match
at one before succumbing to an overpowering River Hawks attack.
Franklin Pierce, who was mathematically eliminated from conference
tournament contention, dropped to 11-12 (6-8 NE-10) with the loss.
UMass Lowell improved its record to 13-8 (10-2 NE-10) with the
win.
The River Hawks received a dominant performance from Julie Handy
(Yorba Linda, Calif./Esperanza). The junior outside hitter piled up
a match-high 26 kills to go along with 13 digs. Fellow outside
hitter Ashley Cote (Lowell, Mass./Lowell/C.W. Post) contributed 12
kills and 14 digs, while sophomore setter Caitlin Harte (East
Rochester, N.H./Spaulding) racked up 53 assists and three aces to
fuel the UMass Lowell offense.
On her senior night, Franklin Pierce middle hitter Briana Bates (Belmont, N.H./Endicott
College) tallied a season-high nine blocks to go along with
eight kills. Sophomore outside hitter Christina Collett (Tombstone,
Ariz./Tombstone) notched nine kills, while classmate Michelle McConnell (Elora,
Ontario/Centre Wellington) chipped in with 11 digs and six
kills for the hosts. Freshman setter Bria Williams (Chino Valley, Ariz./Chino
Valley) had a solid overall match, posting 23 assists and
ten digs, while junior Tara Vece
(Clinton, Conn./Morgan School) added 20 digs on the
defensive end for the Ravens.
Franklin Pierce (11-12, 6-8 NE-10) will wrapup its season on
Thursday when they travel to Saint Anselm for a match beginning at
7:30 p.m. UMass Lowell (13-8, 10-2 NE-10) takes the court again on
Saturday, as they host Northeast-10 Conference foe Saint Rose at 1
p.m.