BRISTOL, R.I. – Peyton Felix (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) recorded a match-high 19 kills as the Roger Williams University Women's Volleyball team earned a 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-19, 25-15) Conference of New England (CNE) victory over the University of Hartford on Saturday afternoon at the Paolino Recreation Center.
Roger Williams improved to 7-11 overall and 3-2 in conference play, while Hartford fell to 10-8 overall and 2-3 in the CNE.
For the Hawks, Felix hit .314 while adding five digs, a service ace and a solo block. Angela West (Riverview, Fla.) contributed 13 kills on a .296 hitting percentage, and Ava McGonagle (Reading, Mass.) directed the offense with 37 assists, six digs and two aces. Samantha Devino (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) recorded six service aces and 11 digs, while Marianna Hernandez (Norwalk, Conn.) collected a team-high 17 digs and four assists. Joci Wall (Ann Arbor, Mich.) added 15 digs and two aces.
For Hartford, Calla McCombs led the offense with 15 kills and a service ace. Rylee Miller completed a double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs, while Jordan Murphy recorded 11 kills on a .611 hitting percentage and three total blocks. Amara Rhodes distributed 38 assists and added 10 digs and three aces.
Roger Williams finished with 49 kills and a .262 hitting percentage while limiting Hartford to a .177 clip. Hartford held a 50-49 edge in kills and a 4-3 advantage in team blocks, but RWU recorded a 12-6 advantage in service aces. Both teams finished with 56 digs.
Hartford built a 10-6 advantage in the opening set before Roger Williams rallied to tie the score at 10. Neither team led by more than two during the closing stretch, and the frame was tied at 22 before the Hawks scored three of the final four points. Kaydence Fish (Bedford, N.H.) recorded a kill to give RWU set point before Felix closed the 25-23 win.
The second set featured nine ties and five lead changes. With the score even at 18, Hartford used a three-point run to move ahead 21-18 and scored seven of the final nine points to take the frame, 25-20.
RWU responded by scoring the first 12 points of the third set behind Devino's serve. Devino delivered four aces during the opening run, while Felix contributed three kills. Hartford cut the deficit to four at 23-19, but McGonagle answered with a kill before Devino closed the set with her fifth ace of the match for a 25-19 victory.
Roger Williams never trailed in the fourth set, opening a 5-0 advantage before extending the margin to 14-7. The Hawks recorded 16 kills without an attacking error on 29 attempts for a .552 hitting percentage in the frame. Felix finished the set with five kills, West added four and Fish contributed three as RWU secured the match with a 25-15 win.
Roger Williams returns to the Paolino Recreation Center on Tuesday, Oct. 13, when it hosts Rhode Island College at 6 p.m.
