Ray adds 12 kills, four aces, two blocks

RINDGE, N.H. (September 28, 2013) – Senior right side Ashley Bruce (Hampton Falls, N.H.) hit .257 with 14 kills, while freshman setter Kelsey Hausman (Sandy, Utah) dished out 49 assists to go with five aces, nine digs and a pair of blocks on Saturday evening, as the Franklin Pierce University volleyball team rebounded after losing a 2-0 lead to finish off Bridgeport, 3-2, in a five-set marathon in the Fieldhouse. Junior middle Larissa Olveira hit .375 with 12 kills and a pair of blocks in the loss for Bridgeport.

With the win, Franklin Pierce improves to 5-2 (0-2 Northeast-10), while Bridgeport falls to 2-1 (1-0 East Coast). Franklin Pierce took the first two sets, 25-16 and 25-20, before Bridgeport answered with wins of 25-19 and 25-16. The Ravens responded with a 15-9 win to take the match.

After the two-set lead evaporated in front of Franklin Pierce's eyes, the teams traded points early in the fifth set, with the set remaining tied as late as 7-7. Leading 9-8, the Ravens rattled off the next four points to take a commanding, 13-8 lead they would never relinquish. Freshman middle Aiden Garcia (Eagle Pass, Texas) and senior outside hitter Natasha Ray (Colorado Springs, Colo.) picked up back-to-back kills and sophomore defensive specialist Catherine Purdy (Ossining, N.Y.) mixed in a service ace in the surge. Freshman middle Frida Randen got one point back for Bridgeport, but that would be it for the Purple Knights, as senior middle Katie Jackson (Centennial, Colo.) and Bruce put away back-to-back kills to finish off the match.

For Franklin Pierce, Garcia led three in double digits offensively, as Ray added 12 kills and hit .175, while sophomore outside hitter Sydni Schulz (Cypress, Texas) contributed 10 kills and hit .259. As a team, the Ravens hit a much-needed .225 after a pair of sub-.200 matches last week. The offense ran through the set of Hausman and her 49 assists, which was a season high.

The service game was wild on both sides of the net, as Franklin Pierce piled up 14 aces, but also committed 10 service errors. In addition, Bridgeport added seven aces, but also committed five service errors. As a result, 36 points were decided directly on the serve over the course of the match. For the Ravens, Hausman led the way with her five aces, while Ray added four more. For Bridgeport, junior outside hitter Biljana Savic served up three aces.

Offensively for Bridgeport, Oliveira led four players in double digits, as junior outside hitter Ying Shen matched her with 12 kills, but hit over 100 points lower, at .235. Elsewhere, sophomore outside hitter Sarah Rosa hammered out 11 kills and Randen added 10 more. Randen was the most efficient hitter of the day on either side, as she hit .450 over 20 attempts. The Purple Knights worked off the set of both Savic (27 assists) and senior Fernanda Silva (14).

Defensively, senior libero Lauren Miller (Alexandria, Ind.) led Franklin Pierce with 27 digs (5.40 per set). She was joined in double digits by Schulz, who added 10 more. The Ravens were active at the net, collecting seven blocks. Garcia led the way with three (one solo), while Hausman and Ray contributed two each.

For Bridgeport, Shen (14 digs) led three players in double digits defensively, as she was joined by sophomore outside hitter Martina Santia (12) and Savic (11). Junior middle Jade Zhao factored in on four of them, while Randen was a part of three.

The Ravens return to the court on Wednesday, Oct. 2, when they remain home to host Bentley in a Northeast-10 Conference contest. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at the Fieldhouse.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce volleyball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).