BRISTOL, R.I. – In the opening match of the RWU Invitational, the Roger Williams University Women's Volleyball team defeated Simmons 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-22) in a straight-set sweep.
The Hawks hit .246 as a team, earning 45 kills with 14 errors in 126 attempts. The Sharks ended the contest being held to a .136 hitting percentage on 110 attempts with 27 attacks and 12 errors. RWU also had eight service aces in the contest, while dishing out 44 assists, with 53 digs and seven blocks.
Izzy Unsworth (Milford, N.H.) tallied 20 kills in the matchup, while hitting .245 on 49 attempts, with four service aces and eight digs in the matchup. Kaydence Fish (Bedford, N.H.) had eight kills with two assists and five block assists, while Ava McGonagle (Reading, Mass.) and Emma Bosco (North Andover, Mass.) were responsible for 18 and 15 assists, respectively. On the defensive side, Peyton Felix (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) led the team with six block assists.
For Simmons, Hannah Pridgeo had 10 kills on 37 attempts, hitting .189, while registering nine digs. Libero Carolina Rodriguez had 18 digs, with Keagan Serverius earning 21 assists. Kira Buonopane had four total blocks, two of which were solo.
After dropping the opening point of the match, the Hawks tallied seven straight points, with two coming off aces by Unsworth. Simmons pulled within two points, 13-11, but the Hawks used a stretch, winning seven of the next eight points to take control.
In the second, Simmons held a 12-8 lead over Roger Williams, but again, a run from the RWU side put the Hawks up by two. Leading 20-17, RWU saw four kills in a row, the first three by Unsworth, as they secured a win.
Late in the third set, Simmons held a 22-21 lead after an error by Fish, but the Hawks saw a kill by Unsworth, which sparked a four-point run to secure the match win.
Roger Williams (1-4) will take on Wesleyan on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 12:00 pm before facing Wheaton at 4:00 pm to close out the RWU Invitational. Simmons (0-5) will look to bounce back for their first win of the season, opening against Wheaton on Saturday at 10:00 am, before wrapping up their invite at 2:00 pm against Wesleyan.
