RINDGE, N.H. (9/20/22) – It was a "battle of the birds" in the Fieldhouse, as Franklin Pierce women's volleyball hosted Saint Anselm College in a Northeast-10 matchup, falling to the Hawks by a final score of 3-0 on a rainy evening in Rindge, New Hampshire.

Following the setback, volleyball moves to 4-6 overall on the season, with Saint Anselm improving to 11-5 with their third straight victory.

The Hawks set the tone early in the opening set, jumping to a quick 5-1 advantage over the Ravens. Down the stretch, the Hawks posting a follow-up 10-1 run midway through the frame to secure an eventual 19-7 cushion. However, on a Saint Anselm set point, the Ravens would show some late signs of life following five Hawk attack errors, as well as kills from seniors Ingrid Lindstrom (Dudley, Mass.) and Tessa Brandt (Foster, R.I.). Despite the brief momentum shift, Saint Anselm would eventually secure the final point needed, and open with a 25-17 set win.

In similar fashion to the first set, Saint Anselm burst out of the gate offensively to begin the second. With an early 7-1 lead over the Ravens in hand,  the Hawks capitalized on numerous chances, including three service aces late, to run away with a 25-14 triumph and stake a 2-0 match lead.

The Ravens returned for the third set rejuvenated, putting forward their largest scoring stretch of the evening with a 5-0 run mid-way through. Trailing 21-15, Ingrid Lindstrom returned for more with two kills in a row, followed by a pair of Hawk attacking errors, to put the Ravens behind by just two points (21-19). Following a Saint Anselm timeout, Tessa Brandt would deliver a pair of kills on the Ravens' next three scoring plays, bringing the score to a close 23-22 lead for the Hawks. Saint Anselm, in the end, spoiled the Ravens hopes of extending the match by scoring the final two points, winning the closely contested battle 25-22 for the match triumph.

Tessa Brandt would finish the night as the Raven leader in kills with eight total, and Ingrid Lindstrom would collect six of her own in the effort. Junior libero Morgan Schmutzler (Lockport, Ill.) finished the evening with 15 total digs, which was the second highest between the two teams.

Volleyball concludes their three-game homestand this coming Friday, September 23^rd where they will face the Assumption University Greyhounds at 7PM.