PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Roger Williams University Women's Volleyball team rallied twice before falling to Johnson & Wales University 3-2 (15-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-20, 15-17) in Conference of New England action Wednesday evening.
For the Hawks, Peyton Felix (Burnt Hills, N.Y.) recorded a match-high 19 kills while adding 12 digs and two service aces for a double-double. Angela West (Riverview, Fla.) contributed 14 kills and two block assists, while Ava McGonagle (Reading, Mass.) distributed 37 assists and added eight digs and two aces. Marianna Hernandez (Norwalk, Conn.) anchored the back row with a match-high 25 digs and six assists. Adele Kasper (Parsippany, N.J.) finished with six kills on a .545 hitting percentage and two total blocks.
For Johnson & Wales, Emerson Lane recorded 12 kills on a .364 hitting percentage and four block assists, while Bailey Koopman added 11 kills on a .320 clip and four total blocks. Trinity Ricevuto finished with 10 kills and 16 digs, and Nevaeh Arnold contributed 10 kills. Sophia Santacroce directed the offense with 39 assists, and E. Rivera Fernandez collected 18 digs and four service aces.
Roger Williams posted a .200 hitting percentage compared with Johnson & Wales' .183 mark. The teams finished even with 66 digs and eight service aces apiece, while the Wildcats held advantages of 61-49 in kills and 8-5 in total blocks.
The opening set was tied at 7-7 before Johnson & Wales used a 13-4 run to build a 20-11 advantage. The Wildcats secured five of the final eight points to take the frame, 25-15.
RWU responded by opening an 18-10 advantage in the second set. Johnson & Wales rallied to tie the score at 22-22 and again at 23-23, but Felix delivered a kill before McGonagle closed the set with an ace for a 25-23 victory.
The third set featured 13 ties. The teams remained even at 18-18 before the Wildcats used a 6-1 run to reach set point. Roger Williams fought off three set points before Johnson & Wales finished the frame, 25-22.
The Hawks scored the first four points of the fourth and extended their lead to 13-5 behind a pair of Devino aces. The Wildcats pulled within two at 19-17, but RWU scored six of the final nine points to force a deciding set with a 25-20 win.
Johnson & Wales built a 7-3 advantage in the fifth before Roger Williams rallied to tie the score at 11-11. The Hawks moved ahead 13-12 and later held a 14-13 match-point advantage on a West kill. The Wildcats answered with two points before Kaydence Fish (Bedford, N.H.) tied the frame at 15-15, but consecutive kills from Santacroce and Skylar Winchester secured the 17-15 victory for Johnson & Wales.
Roger Williams (5-10, 1-2 CNE) returns home Saturday for a tri-match at the Paolino Recreation Center. The Hawks face Curry College at 11 a.m. before taking on Regis College at 3 p.m.
