We're Back! Rivier returns to the GNAC Championship Game

(Nashua, NH) The Rivier College Women's Volleyball team earned their 9th trip to the GNAC Championship in the past 11 seasons with a 3-0 win over Emmanuel College tonight in front of a vociferous crowd inside the Muldoon Fitness Center.

The Raiders (21-13 overall) got off to a fast start in the first set as they held a 9-5 lead. Emmanuel would battle back as the Saints rallied for a 7-1 run to knot things up at 11 points apiece. After a service error gave Rivier the lead and the ball, both junior Kenna Finlayson (Derry, NH) and sophomore Nicole Peacock (Warwick, RI) laced consecutive kills to pace the Raiders to a set ending 13-3 run. Finlayson was the heavy hitter in the first set as she recorded 8 kills. Peacock added 4 as did sophomore Nicole Boucher (Windham, NH).

Rivier continued the hot hand as the team switched sides for the 2nd set. The Raiders got out to a quick six point lead (10-4) before the Saints began to fight back in. Emmanuel trimmed the deficit to three as they went point for point with Rivier. With the score at 20-16 in favor of the home team, senior Emileigh Cenedella (Townsend, MA) fired a laser to the floor for her third kill of the set which propelled the Raiders to a 25-16 victory in set 2. Finlayson continued to rack up the kills as she slammed down six more in the second stanza.

Trailing by two sets, the Emmanuel College Saints (21-15 overall) refused to quit. They jumped out to a 10-4 lead on the Raiders highlighted by the play of senior Jenna Ross (Centerburg, OH). Ross and fellow seniors Rebecca Stanton (Quincy, MA) and Kathryne Olsen (Fairhaven, MA) provided pivotal sparks in the six point lead. However the Raiders showed why they are heading to their 9th GNAC Championship game in the past 11 seasons as the climbed all the way back to tie the game at 13 when Peacock made a solo block in the center of the net. After Emmanuel tied the game again, this time at 18, Rivier was able to go on a 7-1 run to end it. Finlayson unleashed three straight service aces before Boucher sealed it with a kill.

Finlayson finished the game with 17 kills, 5 service aces and 2 digs. Peacock was right behind her with 12 kills and 2 solo blocks while Boucher had 10 kills. Senior Lauren Saccoccio (Warwick, RI) continues to guide the team as she had 37 assists. Cenedella was the team leader in digs with 11.

For the Saints, Stanton led the team with 7 kills and 3 solo blocks. Olsen recorded 15 assists to go along with 4 digs while Ross had 6 kills and 14 digs. Junior libero Yun-Tung Lee (Cambridge, MA) contributed with 9 digs in the loss.

The win for the Raiders is their 10th in a row and 16th since October 1st when Saccoccio returned to the lineup.

The 2nd seeded Raiders will travel down to Boston, Massachusetts where they will invade the home of the top seeded Emerson College Lions on Saturday afternoon (1pm start) for the GNAC Championship. Emerson dispatched 2010 GNAC Champion Johnson and Wales in three straight before taking 3 of 4 from Simmons College tonight. Earlier this season, the Lions handed Rivier their only loss inside of GNAC play. The Raiders were beaten in five sets back on September 17th in the second game of a tri-match held at Emerson.

For those who are in the Nashua, New Hampshire area there will be an official "Raider Fan Bus" that will leave campus around 11:30 am on Saturday morning. If you would like to ride the bus we ask that you RSVP tomorrow (Friday, November 4th) with Rivier AD Joanne Merrill (jmerrill@rivier.edu).