WILMINGTON, Del. (September 11, 2015) – Junior Aiden Garcia (Eagle Pass, Texas) went on a tear in the Ravens first game of the day, bringing thunder behind 19 kills and an attack percentage of .581 while sophomores Hannah St. Jean (Olympia, Wash.) and Madison Klusendorf (Santa Maria, Calif.) each hit double-digit kills on the day as the Franklin Pierce University Ravens Volleyball team swept their first two games of the Wildcat Classic hosted by Wilmington University. The Ravens first defeated Chestnut Hill College 3-1, then defeated the hosts Wilmington by a score of 3-2 later in the day.

With the victories, the Ravens improve to 3-3 overall on the season, with an opportunity to climb above .500 after tomorrow's two matches.

In game one, the Ravens immediately fell behind, dropping the first set 25-19 right off the bat. After that, the match became the Aiden Garcia Show, as the junior then proceeded to drop five kills in set two in a 25-19 win for the Ravens to tie things up at one. Garcia then went on and slammed home seven kills in set three in a Ravens romping win, 25-11 giving them a 2-1 advantage. Garcia would be the catalyst in the fourth and final set, finishing off with another five kills to shut the door on Chestnut Hill, giving Franklin Pierce the 3-1 win.

Assisting Garcia in her thunderous play was St. Jean recording 10 kills, and sophomore setter Hannah Runge (Deltona, Fla.), who tossed up a total 42 assists in the match. Senior Sarah MacHugh (Red Hook, N.Y.) led the defensive push with 23 total digs, while freshman Brittney Carias (Burlingame, Calif.) and Katie Leidhold (Acushnet, Mass.) each recorded double-digit digs as well.

In match two, the Ravens started strong, taking the first two sets 2-0. It seemed as if they were in the driver's seat for set three. However, Wilmington came back strong with a commanding 25-18 win. With the Ravens still up, Wilmington got the jump off the start, grabbing the early lead 14-9.

Franklin Pierce then made a charge back, and had a chance to close the deal leading 24-21. That led to five straight points for Wilmington, as they took the set 26-24, forcing a fifth and final set. In the fifth set, the Ravens came out and set the tone and were able to finish off the match 3-2 with a 15-12 win to finish off their day.

Klusendorf came out as top dog in the second match, hitting home 17 kills with a .304 attack percentage, while Leidhold and fellow freshman Abigail Sonuga (Haverhill, Mass.) also recorded double-digit kills. Benefitting from all the kills was Runge, who topped out at 50 assists for the first time this season. Leidhold and Runge each recorded their third double-double of the year by eclipsing double-digit digs apiece with 18 and 16, while MacHugh and Carias led the way with 25 and 23 respectively.

The Ravens continue their prowl for wins tomorrow, with two more matches at noon and 2 p.m. as they take on Caldwell and Holy Family.

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).