Women's Volleyball Takes Down RIC in Five

BOSTON – It was a record-setting morning at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court as four players rewrote career highs to send Suffolk women's volleyball past Rhode Island College for the first time in program history. The five-set triumph, which came by set scores of 25-23, 18-25, 25-16, 17-25, and 15-11, marked the third straight victory for the Rams.

THE BASICS
SCORES: Suffolk 3 | Rhode Island College 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (5-6) | Rhode Island College (6-4) 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Suffolk were forced into a timeout early in the first frame as it trailed 17-11. The Rams shifted momentum out of the break as they embarked on an extended 9-2 run, using kills from four different players, including three apiece from Emmy Thomander and Emily Norgrove, to take their first advantage of the match at 23-22 and eventually closed out the first set with a 25-23 victory.
• Consecutive service aces from Kathy Mo put the Rams in front 7-6 in the second set. The Anchormen answered with an 11-2 rally to take a commanding 17-9 lead. The eight-point gap remained at 20-12. Suffolk attempted to battle back behind a 5-1 stretch, which cut the deficit in half, 21-17. Three straight RIC kills put a bow on the set for the visitors, 25-18, to draw the match level at one set each.
• Suffolk scored the first point of the third and never looked back as three straight Thomander kills gave the host a 12-7 advantage. That five-point cushion remained at 19-14 before Norgrove anchored a set-ending 6-2 spurt to cap off the set in Suffolk's favor, 25-16. The junior outside hitter was responsible for half of the points in the set-ending rally, all on kills. 
• RIC controlled the fourth thanks to a 15-2 run that put Suffolk in a 17-8 hole that was too much ground for the Rams to make up as the Anchormen claimed the frame, 25-17, went on to level the match's playing field at 2-2. 
• An early Anchormen edge remained as the team's switched sides, 8-6. Chloe Clement willed the Rams ahead, 10-8, with two kills and one service ace. Grace Cervenka added two kills as the blue-and-gold the margin to 13-9, which prompted a RIC timeout. The teams traded points out of the huddle and the Rams managed to lock up the set and match, 15-11.

STATISCTIALLY SPEAKING

• Five Rams reached double digit kills in Thomander (17), Norgrove (14), Cervenka (11), Sam Michon (10) and Clement (10). 
• Thomander's offensive output came behind a .414 hitting clip and went along with a three-block, one-dig effort on the defensive end. 
• Clement compiled a double-double as she added 20 digs to her kill output to go along with two aces and one block. 
• Nogrove had an all-around outing as well with five digs and three blocks. 
• Cervenka contributed eight digs, two blocks, one helper and one ace in addition to her attack. 
• Aislinn Lanigan assembled a 52-assist, 10-dig double-double. 
• Mo manned the backline with 25 digs to go along with three handouts and three aces. 

NOTEWORTHY

• The Rams and Anchormen met for the eighth time in the all-time series.
• Suffolk picked up its first win over RIC in program history to move to 1-7 in the all-time series.
• The match between the blue-and-gold and RIC was decided in five sets for just the second time in the series, first since the inaugural meeting, Oct. 21, 2003. 
• The blue-and-gold moved to 1-3 at home against RIC.
• Suffolk is now 1-1 versus RIC under Scott Blanchard's leadership.
• Lanigan's 52 assists marked a new career high.
• Thomander (17), Norgrove (14), and Michon (10) picked up personal bests in kills.
• Clement had her second collegiate double-double and produced a career-high 20 digs.
• Lanigan logged her third double-double of the year and fourth of her collegiate career. 

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk hosts Worcester State in the third and final contest of Saturday's tri-match with the opening serve slated for 3:00 p.m.