Women's Volleyball takes two in Day One of the Granite State Challenge

(Nashua, N.H.) The Rivier University Women's Volleyball team continued their winnings ways this evening as they swept both visiting Keene State College and Colby-Sawyer College in the 2016 Granite State Challenge inside the Muldoon Gymnasium. The wins catapult the Raiders to a 6-0 record to begin the season while the Owls fall to 2-5 and the Chargers are at 1-5. Junior Bethany Trevino (Westminster, Colo.) and senior Molly McCormack (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) both reached the 1,000 dig plateau for their careers becoming just the 5^th and 6^th players respectively in program history to reach the milestone.

Game One: Rivier University 3, Keene State College 0 (Final)

The Raiders were able to sweep their first home game of the season with set victories of 25-19, 25-11 and 25-11 over Keene State.

McCormack hit her way to a .435 hitting percentage with a team high 13 kills in the home opener. The outside hitter also registered two total blocks and five digs while sophomore setter Hayley Macken (Clifton Park, N.Y.) dished out 26 assists. Freshman Jillian Boyle (North Andover, Mass.) helped along the back line with 11 digs while Trevino led the way with 16 digs. Senior Lauren Silverman (Chelmsford, Mass.) contributed 8 kills and seven total blocks for the Raiders.

Keene State was led by Courtney Collins, who hammered down six kills and recorded a .600 hitting percentage. Katie Cunningham and Katie Dyer each accumulated 8 assists apiece and Riley Bunker collected 12 digs.

Game Two: Rivier University 3, Colby-Sawyer College 0 (Final)

Rivier used scores of 25-16, 25-20 and 25-16 as they swept their way past Colby-Sawyer College in the second game of the Granite State Challenge at the Muldoon Gymnasium.

Silverman was the kill leader in this one as she deposited 11 kills to the floor with a .471 hitting percentage to go along with her five block solos. Macken complied 19 assists with senior Alley Stefanovski (Rochester, N.Y.) adding in 8 assists of her own. Defensively the digs were spread out evenly with Boyle leading the squad at 7 digs while Trevino and Macken totaled six each. Junior Madison Soucy (Tolland, Conn.) had five digs in the win as senior Dana Mott (Medway, Mass.) smashed 7 kills on her way to a .545 hitting percentage.

Colby-Sawyer saw Courtney Murray pace the offensive attack with seven kills and both Jaia Woodland and Naarah Cox added four each in the defeat. Olivia Goodrich totaled 11 assists and Caroline McCoy chipped in with 8 digs for the Chargers.

The Granite State Challenge continues tomorrow as the site shifts to the campus of Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire. Rivier will battle both Daniel Webster College (12pm) and Plymouth State (2pm) tomorrow afternoon.