DUDLEY, Mass. – The Roger Williams University Women's Volleyball team improved to 4-0 in Commonwealth Coast Conference play with a 3-1 win over Nichols College Wednesday evening.
 
Hawk Highlights
Katherine Pickard: 19 kills, 6 digs
Tori Melanson: 10 kills, 1 dig, 3 service aces
Kate Porter: 45 assists, 5 digs, 5 kills, 4 service aces
Lauren Burbidge: 20 digs, 1 service ace
 
For The Opponents
Hayley Granato: 20 kills, 8 digs
Jayleen Fegan: 8 kills, 10 digs
Liz Diorio: 24 digs, 5 assists, 2 service aces
Lindsey Rugg: 36 assists, 2 kills, 14 digs
 
How It Happened
Nichols took an early lead, with Hayley Granato notching four kills over the Bison's first six points. Both sides would trade three points apiece with Nichols notching a 9-7 lead. The Bison would later score four straight points to take a 14-10 lead. The Bison would later build the lead to 18-12 en route to a 25-19 lead. It marked the first time that Nichols won a set over the Hawks since Nichols began their volleyball program in 2016.
 
In the second set, Nichols jumped out to a 4-2 lead and looked poised to continue its strong play. However the Hawks notched five straight points to go up by three. Nichols kept the match close, staying within a point of RWU, but the Hawks were able to pull away late, using a 7-3 run to take a 17-13 lead and force a Bison timeout. That would prove to be a good cushion for the Hawks, as Allie Welch (Marlborough, Conn.) tallied the final three kills to tie the match with a 25-18 win.
 
Roger Williams would use the momentum from that win into the third set, jumping out to a commanding 7-1 lead to open things up. The Hawks built their lead to 14-4 and was in total control the entire set. RWU scored the final six points of the set for a 25-13 win and a 2-1 lead.
 
Nichols rebounded at the start of the fourth set, coming out with a 6-2 lead. Roger Williams would not be deterred, utilizing a 6-0 to go up 8-6. The Bison tied things up at eight, but the Hawks used a 7-1 run to go up by six, thanks to a pair of kills by Kristen Dansereau (Killingworth, Conn.) and two aces by Jaime Gaffga (Mattituck, N.Y.). Nichols managed to make a late run, pulling within two (15-17) before six unanswered points by RWU put the Hawks two points away from the win. Nichols made one last push with a 5-0 run of their own to make it 23-20. After a Hawk timeout, a Katherine Pickard (St. Petersburg, Fla.) kill and a bad set by Nichols allowed RWU to escape with the win.
 
What's Next
Roger Williams (6-8, 4-0 CCC): Saturday, October 16 vs. Endicott @ 1:00pm
Nicholas (5-8, 1-4 CCC): Tuesday, October 19 vs. Salve Regina @ 7:00pm