NASHUA, N.H. - Women's volleyball (13-2, 6-0) continued its impressive run through Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play on Tuesday evening, rallying from an early setback to defeat Rivier (7-8, 4-2), 3-1, at the Muldoon Center. The Saints dropped the opening set, 25-17, but responded by winning three straight sets, 25-21, 25-18 and 25-12, to extend their winning streak to 11 consecutive matches.
Rivier controlled much of the opening set, taking an early lead and eventually closing out the frame, 25-17. Emmanuel struggled offensively in the first set, hitting just .025 compared to Rivier's .258.
The Saints quickly settled in during the second set. After Rivier opened with a 4-3 advantage, Emmanuel battled back behind kills from
Letitia Bossou and Davis. The set remained competitive into the middle stages before the Saints created separation with a 7-1 run that turned a 14-16 deficit into a 21-16 advantage. Davis delivered a kill during the run, while Emmanuel's defense helped force Rivier into several attack errors. The Saints eventually closed out the set, 25-21, to even the match.
Emmanuel carried that momentum into the third set. Rivier held an 11-9 lead early, but the Saints answered with a 6-0 run to take a 15-11 advantage. Davis continued to make her presence felt, recording kills at 18-14 and 19-16. The Saints never surrendered the advantage, taking the third set, 25-18.
The Saints saved their strongest performance for the fourth set. Emmanuel jumped out to a 7-1 lead and continued to build on the advantage behind strong serving, defense and offensive efficiency. Davis contributed another kill during the early run before Emmanuel stretched its lead to 15-4. The Saints maintained control the rest of the way, finishing off the match with a dominant 25-12 fourth-set victory.
First-year
Delilah Davis continued her breakout season in a major way, tying for the team lead with a career-high 17 kills while hitting .350 on the night. Davis also added two blocks and played a key role throughout the Saints' comeback, recording several timely kills during the second and third sets.
Bossou matched Davis with 17 kills and added two blocks for an 18-point performance.
Ayla Evans chipped in eight kills, three service aces and 12 digs, while
Kennedy Horne and
Kason Huynh combined for 37 assists. Horne also added two aces, while Huynh finished with three.
Defensively,
Sofia Petrucci led the Saints with 14 digs, followed by Evans with 12 and
Ava Olsen with 11. Emmanuel finished the night with 63 digs and held Rivier to a .065 hitting percentage, including a -.097 mark in the decisive fourth set.
With the victory, Emmanuel improves to 6-0 in GNAC play and extends its winning streak to 11 matches, continuing its torrid stretch through the conference schedule. The Saints will look to keep the momentum rolling as they continue their pursuit of the top spot in the GNAC.
