BRISTOL, R.I. – The RWU Hawks Volleyball team defeated visiting Worcester Polytechnic Institute 3-1 Thursday night in the RWU Campus Recreation Center. WPI falls to 15-4 on the season while RWU improves to 18-3.

The Hawks dominated the first set, winning 25-9 and took the second set 25-14. WPI bounced back to take advantage of a sluggish RWU team in set three to win 25-18. After the loss, a more determined Hawks team posted a .370 hitting percentage while holding WPI to .036, taking the final set 25-16.

RWU senior Rebekah Dion (Old Saybrook, Conn.), who entered the week ranked 24^th nationally with a .380 hitting percentage, led all players with 15 kills on 29 swings for a .414 efficiency on the night. Splitting time as the second middle hitter were freshmen Holly Hancock (Tilton, N.H.) and Krystie Luczynski (Kensington, Conn.) who both posted a .400 hitting percentage in two sets played each.

For the Engineers, sophomore Bailey Sarber (Westerly, R.I.) led the offense with nine kills and just one error on 40 swings for a .200 hitting percentage. Junior Kim Woodward (Clifton Park, N.Y.) handed out 17 assists, while sophomore Elyssa Dorenfeld (Reading, Mass.) and Joan Porambo (Jim Thorpe, Pa.) posted 10 and 15 digs, respectively.

Three Hawks also posted double-digit digs as sophomores Kelsey Twarog (Barkhamsted, Conn.) and Kelsee Loche (Millis, Mass.) notched 11 and 10, respectively, while senior Jill Hurd (Sunapee, N.H.) led all players with 22.

Both sophomore Kerrin Beovich (Seaford, N.Y.) of the Engineers and junior Marilu Gonzalez-Yanez (Los Angeles, Calif.) of the Hawks registered four service aces on the night.

WPI moves on to face two more members of The Commonwealth Coast Conference Saturday, hosting Eastern Nazarene and Anna Maria College. RWU travels to Johnson & Wales Sunday to defend its Rhode Island Division III Tournament title, first facing Rhode Island College at 10 a.m.