Volleyball Closes Homestand with 3-1 Win Over Becker

BOSTON – The Suffolk volleyball team kept its winning ways going Tuesday night as it capped off its four-match homestand with a 3-1 victory over Becker inside Regan Gymnasium. The win, which was the Rams' third straight, came by set scores of 19-25, 25-8, 25-20 and 25-18.

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3, Becker 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (11-7) | Becker (10-12)

HOW IT HAPPENS
After falling behind 1-0 in the match, Suffolk stormed in the second set to level the playing field, held off the Hawks in the third and locked up the non-conference win with a 25-18 fourth frame. 

SET ONE RECAP (25-19, BECKER)

• Suffolk grabbed an early 8-4 lead.
• Becker slowly chipped away at the Rams advantage and used an 8-1 run to turn the tides and go ahead 17-13.
• Out of a blue-and-gold timeout, Bridget Allison and Hannah Fabiano combined for a block to break up the Hawks run.
• The visitors didn't stay quiet for long as Micaela Rice put together back-to-back aces to put the Rams in a six-point hole, 20-14.
• Suffolk's comeback ensued as it rattled off four consecutive points to pull within two, 20-18.
• Hugo Oretga used a timeout to simmer Suffolk and the break did as the Hawks came out of the break with a pair of points to go back in front by four, 22-18.
• A monster kill by Sarah Mullahy stopped the run, but Becker did not let the Rams get any closer as it recorded the final three points to take the frame. 

SET TWO RECAP (25-8, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk had to play catch up in the opening of the stanza.
• Down 4-2, the Rams rattled off seven unanswered points to flip the switch and grab a 9-4 cushion.
• The Rams did not lose momentum out of a Becker break as the hosts stormed out to lead 15-7 at the midway point.
• The Hawks took their second break of the frame, but once again Suffolk didn't break stride cruising to a 25-8 second set victory.

SET THREE RECAP (25-20, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk's quick 3-0 lead turned into a 7-2 edge, forcing Becker to use its timeout early.
• The Hawks inched their way back and outscored the Rams, 9-4, to trim deficit to one, 15-14.
• A Fabiano kill followed by an ace by Allison kept the visitors at bay as the Rams regained a 22-16 edge.
• Becker's second timeout stunned Suffolk, but the visitors had too much ground to make up as the blue-and-gold hung on for the 25-20 frame win. 

SET FOUR RECAP (25-18, SUFFOLK)

• A tight contest remained at 6-5 in Suffolk's favor until the blue-and-gold sturng toether four quick points to go ahead 10-5.
• A Becker timeout did not break up the stretch as the Rams used a 3-0 spurt to grab a 13-5 edge.
• The Rams did not lock back from there as they kept the Hawks at bay and cruised to the 25-18 set win to seal the match, 3-1.

STATISTICALLYS SPEAKING

• Four different Rams recorded double digit kills in Fabiano (16), Lombardo (12), Barbera (11) and Allison (10).
• Defenisvely, Fabiano contributed 22 digs with Kerek and Emma Feeney adding 12 and 10, respectively.
• Kerek set up the offense with 43 handouts with Lombardo adding four aces.

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk remains unbeaten all-time (dating back to 2008) improving to 7-0 versus the Hawks.
• For the third time in the series, the match went four sets.
• With her 35th assist, Kerek moved into second-place in Suffolk's record book on the assists list displacing Katie Hemlin's 1,134 mark, which stood since 2005. The senior finished the night with a career-high 43 assists to bring her career total to 1,143.
• Fabiano produced her fifth double-double of her career, while Kerek notched double figures in multiple categories for the fifth time this season and 11th time in her career.
• Fabiano tallied a new career best in digs with 22.
• Suffolk's 58 kills marked the most for the blue-and-gold this season and under Bonny Ducharme. The 58 strikes are the most for the Rams dating back through the 2011 season. 

POST-MATCH PIC

UP NEXT
Suffolk stops by Boston foe Wentworth Thursday, Oct. 12 for a 7 p.m. non-conference match.