Dolan Hits .550, Ravens Volleyball Season Wraps Up With Setback to Saint Rose

ALBANY, N.Y. (November 3, 2018) – Franklin Pierce University volleyball freshman Cierra Dolan (Ronkonkoma, N.Y.) tallied a team-high 12 kills and a personal-best .500 hitting percentage as the Ravens 2018 season concluded with a 3-0 (22-25, 15-25, 23-25) setback to Northeast-10 Conference opponent the College of Saint Rose Saturday afternoon in the Daniel P. Nolan Gym. With the victory, the Golden Knights charge ahead to 17-11, 8-6 NE10 while the Ravens suffered their 25th overall loss and 13th in league play.

The freshman outside hitter chipped in a match-best two service aces to go along with one block and three digs. Teammate and fellow outside hitter Sarah Roach (Provo, Utah) recorded nine kills, four digs, one ace and one assist. Setter Mary Pease (East Haddam, Conn.) dished out 29 helpers for FPU.

In her final career collegiate game, senior libero/defensive specialist Brittney Carias (Burlingame, Calif.) led all players with 14 digs. Carias finished her Raven career with 1,154 total digs, the sixth most all-time in program history and 106 service aces, the 11th most in team annals.

For Saint Rose, Shayna Webber led the trio of double-digit kill Golden Knights with a match-best 14 kills and a.609 hitting percentage.

Dolan began the contest by tipping home a kill from the middle of the court. Dolan's opening point was the start of four straight for the Ravens as they led 4-0 early. A Raven attack error gave the hosts their first point of the match, but Breanna Mineweaser (Honey Brook, Pa.) atoned for her miscue with a kill to push Pierce ahead 5-1. A 4-1 scoring binge by the Golden Knights brought them within one, 6-5 following a Stevie Schweitzer kill. Roach reestablished a three-point Raven lead, 9-6 by converting a Pease set for a kill. Saint Rose pulled within one once again until the Ravens racked up two markers to make it a three-point set, 12-9.

The teams swapped points until three straight by the hosts gave them an 18-17 lead. A Dolan kill and a Brenna Goebel attack error regained the advantage towards the Raven side 22-21. Goebel had a hand in the final four points for Saint Rose when she teamed up with Kyla Archie for a block and recorded two kills as the Golden Knights came from behind to win the first set 25-22.

In the second set, a Dolan kill and ace combined with a Roach kill and Schweitzer attack error tied the set 5-5 following an early 5-1 Raven deficit. A 7-1 Golden Knight scoring run doubled up the Ravens 12-6 midway through the set. A bad set and a Grace Campbell attack mistake cut the Raven deficit to 12-8. SRC built their advantage up to seven, 17-10 when Stevie Schweitzer sent a block back to the Raven side of the court. The Golden Knights would win the set and hold a 2-0 match lead thanks to a dual block by Grace Campbell and Archie.

FPU jumped in front 2-0 early as Dolan started the third set with a kill followed by a Golden Knight attack error. Two more kills by Dolan and Jocelyn Moody (Biddeford, Maine) upped the Raven lead to 4-2. Saint Rose notched five straight to move back ahead 7-4. Abigail Garnhart (Colorado Springs, Colo.) brought the Ravens within one, 7-6 when Pease set her teammate up for a kill at the middle portion of the net. FPU eventually tied the set, 9-9 using a Mineweaser kill and blocks from Dolan and Mineweaser. A Macey Drezek ace gave the hosts a six-point cushion, 15-9. FPU stormed back to tie the set, 17 all going on an 8-2 run of their own capped off by another Dolan kill and ace. Ahead by one, Saint Rose built a four-point advantage 23-19. A Megan Mayer service error and a Roach kill from the left pin during a long back and forth rally amended the FPU deficit to two, 23-21. Saint Rose was one point away from a sweep, but Roach killed off another attack attempt and manufactured an ace on her service to make it a 24-23 set. On the next serve, Saint Rose successfully dug the ball and rotated towards Archie on the right side for the match-winning kill.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://fpuravens.com). 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 apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://fpuravens.com/store). You can also follow the volleyball program on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FPURavensVB) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/fpuravensvb/).