DARTMOUTH, Mass. – The UMass Dartmouth volleyball team saw three players reach double-figures in kills, posing a 3-1 (25-22, 16-25, 25-17, 25-22) victory over Roger Williams University in non-conference action on Wednesday. The Corsairs move to 15-6 on the season, while the Hawks are now 9-9 overall.
Opening set action saw the Corsairs jump out to an early lead (3-1) but the Hawks quickly answered, taking advantage of errors by the home team to tie the match at 5-all. Roger Williams grabbed the lead, but an attacking error on the Hawks, coupled with three straight service aces by junior outside hitter and captain
Allison Pate opened a 9-6 lead.
Despite the advantage, the visitors stormed back in and turned the tides, tying the match at 14-all on a kill from Kaylee Jackson. Both teams continued to trade points from that mark until a kill from rookie outside hitter
Ashley Serverius, coupled with back-to-back strikes from sophomore opposite
Olivia Seutter opened a 21-18 lead.
Kills from junior opposite
Maddie Carter and Pate helped pull the Corsairs closer with a 24-21 lead, but Roger Williams refused to back down, grabbing a point on a kill from Peyton Felix. The Corsairs rebounded on the next point as freshman middle blocker
Aleek Kuot laid down the set winning kill for the 1-0 match advantage.
Second set action opened with the Hawks on a 6-2 run, aided by several attacking errors on the Corsairs. Backed by points from Kuot, Serverius and Carter, UMass Dartmouth pulled back into the frame, cutting the deficit to 14-9 as the Corsairs continued to cut into the lead.
The Hawks maintained their lead, going on a three-point run to make it a 23-15 game on a kill from Felix. Carter laid down a kill, but strikes from Brianna Picchietti and Jackson closed out the set, tying the match at 1-1.
UMass Dartmouth rebounded in the third set, opening a solid 5-1 lead on a Serverius ace, two kills from Seutter and a strike from Pate. The Hawks pulled to within five (9-4), but the Corsairs countered, taking advantage on attacking errors, while getting kills from Carter and Serverius to hold a 15-7 lead.
The home team continued to take advantage, going on a 3-1 run behind a kill from Pate and a block assist effort by both Pate and Kuot for a 21-12 lead. RWU answered once more with three straight points, but an attacking error and a kill from Carter helped secure the set win for a 2-1 UMD lead.
In the fourth set of action, the Corsairs came out strong, but the Hawks answered, closing the gap to 5-4 with a home team attacking error. UMD answered as kills from Pate, senior setter and captain
Sabrina Bordone and Kuot, coupled with an error by the Hawks saw the Corsairs go on a 4-0 run for the 9-4 advantage.
UMass Dartmouth continued to build their lead, taking a five-point edge (11-6) on a kill from Serverius, but consecutive points from Picchietti helped pull the visitors to within two (11-8). The Hawks continued to chip away at the lead, turning an 18-12 deficit into a one-point (19-18) margin capitalizing on multiple errors by the Corsairs.
A pair of points in favor of the Corsairs saw the score move to 21-18, but the Hawks refused to go quietly, grabbing three straight points – including a kill from Picchietti - to tie it at 21-all. In the end, a kill from Seutter and a service error on the Hawks closed out the match for UMass Dartmouth.
The Corsairs got 13 kills from Pate, who added a team-best 17 digs with three aces and a block assist. Carter recorded a career-high 12 kills with just one error on 24 swings for a .458 hitting percentage. She added a block solo and a block assist with a dig. Seutter also posted 13 kills on the night, while Kuot added nine kills, a block assist and three digs. Junior setter
Skye Peters posted 24 assists with 11 digs, while senior defensive specialist
Emily Pogorelec and Serverius each posted 15 digs on the night.
UMass Dartmouth returns to action on Friday, traveling to Bridgewater State for a 5pm match-up against the Bears. The Corsairs then head to Vermont, taking on VTSU Castleton in Little East action at 11am on Saturday, followed by a 1pm non-conference tilt against Mass. Maritime.
