SPRINGFIELD, Mass. The American International College volleyball team dropped visiting Franklin Pierce in four-sets Tuesday night in a Northeast-10 tilt at Butova Gymnasium.
With the win AIC moves to 8-8 overall and 2-3 in EN-10 play, while with the loss FPU drops to 13-6 and 3-1 in conference matches.
Up two sets to one, the Yellow Jackets looked to rebound from a hard-fought third set loss, 27-29, and did so with a monster start in the fourth frame.
With freshman setter Roxana Wenger (Giph-Oberfrick, Switzerland) serving, American International opened with a huge advantage, scoring the sets first 11 points. Junior outside hitter Natalija Dordevic (Belgrade, Serbia) and freshman outside Diva Rivas-Reyes (Tucson, Ariz.) traded kills to start the frame, prompting a Raven timeout in a 5-0 hole.
Out of the break, Wenger went back to work, serving up three aces in the next five points. Rivas, Dordevic and junior middle hitter Caitlin Sobolewski (Guilford, Conn.) all registered kills in that span to extend the streak to 11-0 before FPU's Hannah St. Jean broke the Ravens onto the board with a kill.
The Yellow Jackets needed all of that early edge, as the Ravens clawed back, using a 14-3 run of their own to bring it within one, 24-23. AIC had four chances to put Franklin Pierce away, up 24-20, but the Yellow Jackets brought the fans to the edge of their seats before sophomore outside Annie Boele (Clovis, Calif.) put the finishing the touches on the four-set win.
It was a large stat day for AIC as four players notched double digit kills led by Boele's 16 kills and hitting percentage of .421. Sobolewski hit .462 and added 15 kills, while Dordevic and Rivas-Reyes registered 13 apiece.
Wenger finished one assist shy of her career with 51 in a match the Jackets hit .219 as a team. It was the best hitting for AIC since a .275 performance in a 3-1 victory over Holy Family back on Sep. 12 at the Wildcat Regional Invitational.
Sophomore libero Mercy Rivera (Canovanas, P.R.) made 26 digs, while Boele got ahold of 16 on the backline.
AIC returns to action Saturday, Oct. 17 at home when NE-10 leading Adelphi comes to Butova. First serve is slated for 1 p.m. with a chance to win Frankie and Johnnie's gift certificates after the second set!
