RINDGE, N.H (9/17/22) – For the first time since March, The Fieldhouse saw action as the Franklin Pierce volleyball squad opened their home schedule versus the University of Bridgeport, downing the Purple Knights 3-1.

With the win, volleyball snaps a two-game losing streak and improves to 4-5 overall on the season. Bridgeport, on the other end, falls to 2-10 on their season.

The Ravens stormed right out of the gates in the opening set, piling on five straight points for a 14-8 lead over the Knights. From that point, freshman Martina Spackova (Bratislava, Slovakia) helped to pace the Ravens to victory, adding two kills on top of five Bridgeport errors for the 25-21 victory.   

In similar fashion to the match opener, the second set saw a quick surge by the Birds followed by a Bridgeport response. At 6-6 all, three straight attacking errors by the Purple Knights helped re-establish the Raven lead, which was then expanded upon by a series of kills from Martina Spackova and senior Mariah Robles (West Covina, Calif.). Through the remainder of the second, the Raven lead would hold and eventually finish with a set winning kill from Robles, bringing her set total to five in a 25-20 win.

Leading 2-0, Bridgeport went on to win in the third with a 25-20 triumph. The Purple Knights had to resecure the lead on three separate occasions, and were able to hold off the Raven rally efforts to force a fourth set.

The Ravens impressed late in the fourth set, after battling from behind to keep the Knights within their reach. Senior Tessa Brandt (Foster, R.I.) set the tone for the Pierce with a pair of kills to keep the score tight, setting the stage for a dramatic finish with the squad down 23-21. Two plays later, Brandt energized the fieldhouse with a service ace, which was swiftly followed by a Bridgeport error to put the match in hand for Pierce. The final play featured Brandt once again, who won it all for Pierce with a kill to the back corner, finalizing the 3-1 match win with a 25-23 fourth set victory.  

Following her strong finish, Brandt finished the afternoon with her fourth double-double on the season, registering 13 total kills and 21 digs. Mariah Robles led the Birds in kills (15), with freshman Martina Spackova hitting the double-digit mark as well (10).

Volleyball takes the court once again this coming Tuesday, September 20^th where they will face their first Northeast-10 Conference opponent of the season, Saint Anselm College at 7PM.