BRISTOL, R.I. ---- The Salve Regina University women's volleyball team battled through four competitive sets Tuesday evening at the Paolino Recreation Center, earning a hard-fought third-set victory before Roger Williams secured a 3-1 decision.
The Seahawks opened the match with plenty of offensive firepower, collecting 12 kills in the opening set and pushing the Hawks to the limit before Roger Williams edged Salve Regina, 25-23.
Roger Williams carried that momentum into the second set, but the Seahawks refused to relent. Salve Regina responded with its strongest stretch of the night in the third, recording 17 kills while hitting .289 as a team. The Seahawks controlled the set from start to finish, closing out a 25-22 victory to cut the match deficit to 2-1. Salve Regina again battled in the fourth set, but Roger Williams managed to pull away late for a 25-18 decision and clinch the match.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Roger Williams 3, Salve Regina 1
Records: Salve Regina (0-1,0-0 NEWMAC), Roger Williams (1-0,0-0 CNE)
NOTEWORTHY:
- Anouk Jansen (Queen Creek, Ariz.) led the Salve Regina attack with 15 kills, while Jenna DeFrancesco (Branford, Conn.) added 11 kills and Lauren Shurling (Hudson, Mass.) contributed nine.
- Jansen also registered a team-high 11 digs, giving her a strong all-around performance.
- At the net, Abby McRoy (Fall River, Mass.) anchored the Seahawks with three blocks, while Shurling added two.
- Kalena Stavish (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) directed the offense with 23 assists, and Sydney Hanlon (Sandwich, Mass.) chipped in 20 assists as Salve Regina finished the match with 46 assists and 47 kills.
ON THE HORIZON:
Women's volleyball will return to action on Friday, September 4, at Johnson & Wales University at 5 p.m.
