Volleyball Takes Down Roger Williams in Straight Sets

BOSTON – For the second time in program history Suffolk volleyball defeated Roger Williams as the Rams swept the Hawks Wednesday night at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court. The conference triumph came via set scores 25-19, 25-13 and 25-18.   

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Roger Williams 0
RECORDS: Suffolk (14-8, 4-1 CCC) | Roger Williams (7-12, 1-4 CCC)  

HOW IT HAPPENED
Suffolk rattled off the first five points of the day. That match-opening stretch saw a pair of aces from Jayla Martinez, kills from Jessica Weber and Jasmine James and a monster block by James and Sami Shore. The Hawks slowly, but surely chipped the distance down to a pair, 13-11.  

The Rams did not let RWU any closer as McKenna Keowen knocked down back-to-back kills to put a four-point gap between the foes. The Hawks clawed back within two, 19-17, before Suffolk scored three straight to make it 22-17 and force the visitors into their second timeout of the first frame. 

Out of the huddle, Roger Williams scored first, but Suffolk took control from there, as it put away the three of the next four points to lock up the set. That stretch featured a Weber kill and ace and a set-ending kill by Shore. 

After the playing field leveled twice, Suffolk took control with nine unanswered points to make things lopsided 19-5. Roger Williams used a 5-1 run of its own to attempt to catch-up. The gap proved to be too much for the Hawks, however, as Suffolk put on cruise control the rest of the way to secure the second stanza on a Grace Cervenka kill, 25-12. 

Down 12-11, Suffolk surged ahead thanks to five consecutive points that put the host in front, 16-12. See-saw action was followed by a 6-0 Suffolk stretch behind Aislinn Lanigan at the service line that gave the Rams a 23-15 cushion. Roger Williams made one last move at a comeback with three quick points.  

That's as close as the Hawks would get as Keowen registered a kill to set-up match point before a RWU attack error allowed the blue-and-gold to put a ribbon on the sweep. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Keowen had an all-around performance with a 16-kill, 12-dig double-double with one ace and one assist to her credit. 
• Weber and Cervenka each pitched in six kills. 
• Shore supplied five kills. 
• Jayla Martinez and Lanigan set-up the 38-kill attack with 19 assists and 12 assists, respectively. 
• Martinez served three aces. Cervenka and Tatum Kalt had a pair of aces apiece.
• Morgan Kelsey logged 12 digs to power the defense that received five blocks from Shore. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk defeated Roger Williams for the second straight meeting and second time in program history. 
• Both of the Rams wins over the Hawks have come in straight sets. 
• Suffolk bested RWU in Boston for the first time (1-7). 
• A dozen matches between Suffolk and Roger Willams have been decided in straight sets, five in Boston (1-4), five with the Rams as the away team (1-4) and two at neutral hardwood (0-2). 
• Under Scott Blanchard, the blue-and-gold is 2-2 against Roger Williams. 
• Keowen had her second straight double-double, eighth of the season and 13th of her collegiate career.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk heads to Willimantic, Connecticut Saturday, Oct. 21 for a tri-match at Eastern Connecticut State with Plymouth State. The Rams will take on the Panthers first at 2 p.m., before facing the Warriors at 4 p.m.