GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (October 21, 2017) – Senior middle blocker Hannah St. Jean (Olympia, Wash.) led all Ravens with 13 kills and a game-best four blocks as the Franklin Pierce University volleyball team suffered a 3-1 (25-21, 14-25, 24-26, 21-25) setback to Northeast-10 Conference opponent Adelphi University Saturday afternoon. With the win, the Panthers move to 9-11 and 5-3 NE10 while the Ravens lost their 15th match and fall to 3-6 in league play.

St. Jean hit a team-high .242 from the middle in the duel as she added one dig. Teammate Brittney Carias (Burlingame, Calif.) added seven kills, 19 digs, one block and two assists. Freshman Ofeira Petaia (Honolulu, Hawaii) matched Carias' seven kills with seven of her own while chipping in 14 digs and three total blocks. Senior setter Hannah Runge (Deltona, Fla.) dished out a team-best 30 assists while leading all Ravens in service aces with two. For the Panthers, McKenna Clawson led all athletes with 18 kills. Leilani Vazquez chipped in a 12 kill, 13 dig effort with a .379 hitting percentage.

In the first set, the Ravens held an early 9-4 advantage using four straight points and back to back kills by Petaia to give the Crimson and Grey their largest lead to that point. Adelphi called a timeout and the Ravens run continued with Runge serving as she notched back to back aces combined with a Panther ball handling error to move ahead 12-4. Adelphi climbed back into the set by outscoring the Ravens 9-3 over the next few possessions as two Raven attack errors forced FPU into their first timeout of the set. After the stoppage, three straight Panther miscues increased the Raven edge to 18-13. A 5-1 mini-run for the hosts cut their deficit to one 19-18, but the Ravens got the point back on the next serve. Adelphi would come within one for the second time, but Carias put the set away with the 25th point as Franklin Pierce took the first set.

The second set saw Adelphi move ahead 4-1 early on. Franklin Pierce would eventually knot the score at four-all using a dual block of Victoria Cast from Runge and St. Jean. Adelphi rallied for a 5-1 scoring binge to take a 9-5 lead following a Raven attack error. Franklin Pierce stopped play with a timeout, but the Panthers kept on scoring as they tallied the next six consecutive points to up their lead to double figures at 15-5. Adelphi's second set lead grew to a high of 12 markers, 20-8 off a Cara McKenzie kill. Franklin Pierce cut into the advantage yet again, but the Panthers kept pouring on points as the hosts took the second set by a 25-14 score.

The third set was a back and forth affair in the early stages as both teams traded points and possessions. Franklin Pierce held an 8-7 lead as they used three consecutive markers, one of them a Runge kill to pull ahead. Adelphi racked up the next five points to regain the lead at 12-8. The Ravens came within one at 12-11 following an Adelphi attack error and 15-14 after a ball handling error. Adelphi led by as many as four, 20-16, but the Ravens kept the set close as a Petaia stuff brought the defect to two, 20-18.  In the late portion of the set, the Ravens were on the brink of a third set loss until they tied the set at 24 all off two attack errors and a St. Jean kill. However, Adelphi tallied the final two points on a kill and an ace to take the important third set 26-24.

In the fourth set, both teams never held more than a two-point advantage over the opening serves. Trailing, 15-13, the Ravens tallied four straight points as Abigail Garnhart (Colorado Springs, Colo.) stuffed McKenzie at the net then killed off a set from the middle to give the Ravens a 16-15 edge. Adelphi stopped play, but Varricchio upped the lead to 17-15. Three consecutive kills by the hosts regained the lead to their side as the Ravens took their first timeout of the fourth set. FPU promptly tied the set at 18-18 after an error, but then the Panthers scored three in a row to jump back in front 21-18. Franklin Pierce used their final timeout of the set which resulted in the Ravens keeping the deficit at three. A St. Jean kill brought the Ravens within two, 23-21, but the hosts closed out the match with the final two markers.

The Ravens return to campus on Friday, October 27th for a 7:00 p.m. NE10 contest with Assumption College.

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).