Women's Volleyball back in the GNAC Championship; down Anna Maria 3-0

(Nashua, N.H.) For the 13th time and seventh consecutive season, the Rivier University Women's Volleyball team has advanced to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship after ousting #3 Anna Maria College (21-11) in straight sets this evening in GNAC Semifinal action at the Muldoon Gymnasium. The Raiders, now a program best 31-3 overall, will travel down to Providence, Rhode Island for another Championship bout with Johnson & Wales University (32-0).

The Raiders took the three set match from the AMCATS by scores of 25-18, 25-16 and 25-16.

Senior Dana Mott (Medway, Mass.) led the Raiders with 15 kills and four total blocks. Classmate Lauren Silverman (Chelmsford, Mass.) was excellent once again with 13 kills, a .435 hitting percentage and three solo blocks. Sophomore Hayley Macken (Clifton Park, N.Y.) dished out 35 assists and senior Molly McCormack (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) was the defensive star with 16 digs. Junior Bethany Trevino (Westminster, Colo.) chipped in with 15 digs and senior Chelsey Hussey (Lebanon, Conn.) added six kills in the win.

On the other side, the AMCATS were led by sophomore Amari King (Lawrence, Mass.) who had 14 kills and 10 digs. Junior Rebecca Foti (Bedford, N.H.) and freshman Alyssa Goulet (Lawrence, Mass.) each added five kills for Anna Maria with classmate Tierney Clancy (Meriden, Conn.) distributing 23 assists. Sophomore Carolina Garcia (Springfield, Mass.) contributed with 15 digs in the season ending loss.

This will be the third straight season in which both Johnson & Wales and Rivier will battle for GNAC supremacy with each team splitting the previous two matches – JWU in 2015, Rivier in 2014. Overall, these two programs have battled for the GNAC crown six times since 2002 as they have each taken three titles from each other.

Earlier this season, the Wildcats were victorious over the Raiders in four sets by scores of 25-19, 25-23, 27-29 and 28-26. That 27-29 set loss to Rivier is the only set loss by the Wildcats this season (96-1 in sets played in 2016).

The GNAC Championship game will be played on Saturday, November 5 at the Wildcat Center in Providence, Rhode Island. Game time is slated for 1pm.

GNAC Championship 2016 (11/5):

#1 Johnson and Wales University (32-0) vs. #2 Rivier University (31-3)

@ Providence, R.I. (1:00 PM)

GNAC Semifinal Final Scores (11/3):

#1 Johnson & Wales (32-0) def. #4 Simmons (11-12), 3-0

#2 Rivier (31-3) def. #3 Anna Maria (21-11), 3-0

GNAC Quarterfinal Final Scores:

#1 Johnson & Wales (31-0) def. #8 Suffolk (11-16), 3-0

#2 Rivier (30-3) def. #7 Emmanuel (11-22), 3-0

#3 Anna Maria (21-10) def. #6 Saint Joseph's – Me. (12-13), 3-2

#4 Simmons (11-11) def. #5 Lasell (12-18), 3-1