PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The fifth-seeded Roger Williams University Women's Volleyball team captured two of the opening three sets before falling to fourth-seeded Johnson & Wales University, 3-2 (25-20, 15-25, 25-19, 20-25, 11-15), in the first round of the Conference of New England Tournament on Tuesday evening at the Wildcat Center.
The loss closed the Hawks' season with an 11-17 overall record. Johnson & Wales improved to 17-8 and advanced to Thursday's semifinal round.
Peyton Felix (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) led Roger Williams with 17 kills, 10 digs, a service ace and a block assist. Felix, who surpassed 1,000 career points during the regular-season finale, finished her RWU career with 1,026 points.
Angela West (Riverview, Fla.) added 11 kills and five digs, while Kaydence Fish (Bedford, N.H.) recorded eight kills on a .375 hitting percentage. Ava Lombardo (Newtown, Conn.) distributed 36 assists and added five kills, six digs and two service aces.
Marianna Hernandez (Norwalk, Conn.) anchored the back row with a match-high 36 digs. Hernandez, who broke the program's career digs record earlier this season, concluded her RWU career with 1,861 digs. Ava McGonagle (Reading, Mass.) contributed nine digs and four service aces.
The Hawks built a 19-12 advantage in the opening set before the Wildcats pulled within one at 19-18. Roger Williams answered by scoring six of the final eight points, closing the frame on a Hernandez kill to take a 25-20 victory.
Johnson & Wales responded with a 25-15 win in the second set, but RWU regained control in the third. The Hawks committed no attacking errors while recording 13 kills on 32 attempts for a .406 hitting percentage. Felix collected six kills in the frame as Roger Williams earned a 25-19 win and a 2-1 advantage in the match.
The Wildcats forced a deciding set with a 25-20 victory in the fourth.
Roger Williams led 8-6 in the fifth following a Fish kill, but Johnson & Wales used a 7-1 run to move ahead 13-9. The Hawks fought back with consecutive kills from Felix and Lombardo before the Wildcats secured the final two points.
Nevaeh Arnold paced Johnson & Wales with 13 kills, while Emma Rivera Fernandez collected 26 digs. Sophia Santacroce finished with 21 assists, 11 digs and three service aces.
