Postseason Preview: Women’s Volleyball Hosts NEC in GNAC Play-In Matchup on Monday

GNAC BRACKET

NASHUA, N.H. – After finishing 15-15 with a conference record of 9-6, No. 7 Rivier women's volleyball will host No. 10 New England Col. (10-19, 6-9 GNAC) in one of two Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Play-In round matches on Monday evening, with first serve from the Muldoon Center slated for 7:00 p.m.

This will be the second consecutive meeting between the Raiders and the Pilgrims, who met in their respective season finales on Saturday at Bridges Gym. The Raiders went up 2-0 before NEC battled back to force a fifth set, which Rivier handled with ease to end the regular-season on a high note.

Rivier is 5-1 in the all-time series, which dates back to Sept. 8, 2017, with the Raiders winning the last three matchups.

The Raiders went 11-14 (6-5 GNAC) through the first two months of the campaign before going 4-1 (3-1 GNAC) in the final month of the regular-season to secure a spot in the postseason.

Rivier's main spark has been senior middle Lily Sills, who has recorded 252 kills over 105 sets played (2.40 k/s) while hitting .231 and averaging 0.54 blocks per set, all atop the Raiders' statistical leaderboard.

Ryan Hicks, a senior setter, sits fourth in the conference in assists per set, producing 6.39 assists per set, playing in all but five sets all season.

Sophomore libero Hannah Raab has been solid defensively with 3.15 digs per set, notching a team-high 337 digs over 107 sets. She sits atop the GNAC in service aces per set with 0.77.

NEC finished 10-19 (6-9 GNAC), posting a 3-9 record in road matches. Key performers include junior pin Lily-Anne Heywood (1.93 k/s), junior libero Kristina Cardello (4.44 d/s), and graduate middle Tatiana Sampson (1.78 k/s,  0.46 b/s).

The winner of Monday night's meeting will travel to Providence on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. for a showdown with No. 2 JWU (Providence) at the Wildcat Center.