October 28, 2009
Eagles Hang Tough With Raiders, But Fall 3-1

Nashua - Kenna Finlayson (Derry, N.H.) notched a match high 17 kills adding five digs and Danielle Jacques (Derry, N.H.) added 10 kills leading Rivier College past host Daniel Webster College, 3-1 in a meeting of longtime intra-city volleyball rivals Thursday night at Mario Vagge Gymnasium.

Lindsay Chace (E. Providence, R.I.) added nine kills for the Raiders (17-12), who won for the sixth time in their last eight outings, taking the match 25-21, 25-17, 19-25, 25-18 with Daniel Webster earning their first set victory in the series since the 2001 season.

Chelsey Crawford (Westfield, Mass.) led the Eagles (13-6) with nine kills, six total blocks and added four digs, while Samantha Hill (Hudson, N.H.) registered six kills and 10 digs. Kristina Rieger (Concord, N.H.) chipped in with five kills and 13 digs.

Raider setter Lauren Saccoccio (Warwick, R.I.) dished out 27 assists for Rivier, adding three kills and three digs, while her counterpart Caitlyn DiPierro (Billerica, Mass.) set up 25 Eagle assists adding three kills and six digs.

The opening set saw 10 ties and four lead changes and was tied at 16 before an Emileigh Cenedella (Townsend, Mass.) ace and Finlayson kill opened a two-point lead (18-16) the Raiders would not relinquish.

The Eagles would close the gap to 22-21 on a Raider error, but back-to-back Jacques kills helped close out the 25-21 win.

Rivier jumped out to 12-2 lead in set two aided by two kills from Kate-Lyn Breault (Hudson, N.H.) and four unforced Eagle errors on the way to the 25-17 win.

The Eagles regrouped in the third. Tied at 7-7, the Eagles jumped ahead on a Raider attack error and Crawford followed with four straight points at the line that included a Rieger kill for an 11-7 lead.

Leading 12-10, Hill knocked down a kill sparking a 5-0 run that included another Rieger kill and an Emily Travis (Somerset, Mass.) ace for a 17-10 lead. The Eagles let Rivier no close than four the rest of the way and a DiPierro kill closed out the 25-19 win.

Rivier trailed just once in the fourth (1-2) and maintained a three-point edge as late as 20-17 before back-to-back kills from Jacques and Chace built a five point lead and Courtney Cookson (Hooksett, N.H.) closed out the match with an ace.

The Eagles close out their regular season slate Saturday hosting bay Path College at 1:00 p.m. in a NECC matchup.

Rivier visits UMass Dartmouth Thursday night at 7:00 p.m.