BRISTOL, R.I. – With three wins on the day, the Roger Williams University Volleyball team won the RWU Invitational Saturday afternoon, defeating Rivier College 3-0, NYU-Polytechnic 3-1, and the University of New England 3-1.

In the first match of the day, the Hawks began things on a winning note, taking the first game against Rivier 25-22. The second game saw the Raiders nearly even things up, yet the Hawks prevailed by a 33-31 score. RWU would go on to take the match in the third set, defeating Rivier 25-19.

Against NYU-Polytechnic, the Hawks cruised to a 25-11 win in the first set, followed by a 25-16 win in the second. The third game between the Blue Jays and the Hawks saw a tight battle, evidenced by three tie scores. Ultimately, NYU-Polytechnic earned the victory by a 25-22 score. In the fourth set, the Hawks extended their winning streak to four matches in a row, picking up the 25-21 win.

In the final match of the tournament, the Hawks faced off against a familiar Commonwealth Coast Conference opponent in the form of the University of New England. The Nor'Easters jumped out to an early 1-0 lead after taking the first set 25-20. That would be their only win against the Hawks in the match, as RWU rolled off three straight wins by the scores 25-18, 25-18, and 25-16.

“I was pleased with the high level of intensity that we maintained throughout the long day,” said Head Coach Bret Stothart. “The team really worked well together and made some big plays when we needed them.”

Junior Jill Hurd (Sunapee, N.H.) earned RWU Invitational MVP honors after tallying 45 digs, four services aces, and eight assists in her three matches. Senior Kristina Dolan (Glenmont, N.Y.) was also named to the All-Tournament team after totaling 31 kills, three solo blocks and two block assists. Freshman Emily Lebowitz (Coventry, Conn.) finished the day with 93 assists, eight digs and five service aces.

Roger Williams (5-4) will host Connecticut College Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m.

RWU 3 – Rivier 0 (25-22, 33-31, 25-19)

NYU 3 - UNE 1 (15-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-19)

RWU 3 – NYU 1 (25-10, 25-16, 22-25, 25-21)

Rivier 3 - UNE 0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-22)

RWU 3 – UNE 1 (20-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-16)

Rivier 3 – NYU 2 (22-25, 25-23, 20-25, 32-30, 15-13)

All-Tournament Team

Claire Varner – UNE

Corey Loupee – NYU

Kenna Finlayson – Rivier

Emileigh Cenedella – Rivier

Kristina Dolan – RWU

Jill Hurd – RWU (MVP)

Tournament Champions - Roger Williams University