BRISTOL, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Women's Volleyball team suffered its first Commonwealth Coast Conference defeat of the season, falling 0-3 to Endicott College Saturday afternoon in a battle between the top two teams in the conference.
 
Hawk Highlights
Katherine Pickard: 14 kills, 8 digs, 4 assists, 1 solo block, 3 block assists, 1 service ace
Kate Porter: 17 assists, 5 digs, 4 kills, 1 block assist
Jamie Gaffga: 11 digs, 1 assist, 1 kill
Jasmine Babbitt: 2 kills, 1 dig, 1 solo block, 2 block assists
 
For The Opponents
Colleen McAvoy: 12 kills, 4 digs, 1 service ace
Amanda Gilbert: 10 kills, 5 digs, 1 assist, 1 service ace
Riley Donahue: 8 kills, 11 digs, 2 block assists, 1 service ace
Lauren McGrath: 20 assists, 8 digs, 1 kill, 2 service aces
 
How It Happened
It was a tight game early on, despite both teams having trouble with their serves. The two sides combined for six service errors over the first 12 points. Endicott managed to take a 9-5 lead before the Hawks came back to tie the set at 11 apiece. The Gulls would call a timeout, and after the break log four straight points as part of a 9-1 run. That run would help push Endicott to the 25-14 win, with Amanda Gilbert (Hopkinton, Mass.) serving up an ace for the clinching point.
 
Both sides traded points early on in the second set before the Hawks were able to take a 10-6 lead. However, Endicott would roll off ten straight points to turn a four-point deficit into a six-point lead. The Gulls would lead by as many as seven before the Hawks made a late rally to pull within one (19-20). Endicott was able to hold off Roger Williams and escape with the 25-22 win.
 
Roger Williams came out hot in the fourth set, with four straight points to begin things capped off by a Lauren Burbidge (Cazenovia, N.Y.) ace. The Hawks lead most of the way, even taking a 16-11 advantage to force an Endicott timeout. From that point, the Gulls' offense went to work, logging an unprecedented 13-3 run to take it to match point at 24-19. The Hawks would not go quietly, as a Kate Porter (Killingworth, Conn.) kill and back-to-back block assists by Tori Melanson (North Attleboro, Mass.) and Katherine Pickard (St. Petersburg, Fla.) brought RWU within two and forcing another Gull timeout. Unfortunately for the Hawks, the first serve after the TO would be dumped into the net, giving Endicott the win.
 
What's Next
Roger Williams (6-9, 4-1 CCC): Tuesday, October 19 vs. Wentworth @ 7:00pm
Endicott (14-7, 5-0 CCC): Tuesday, October 19 vs. Wentworth @ 7:00pm