Lanigan Joins 1k Assist Club, Volleyball Downs JWU in CNE Opener, 3-1 

BOSTON – Suffolk women's volleyball lifted the lid on its 2025 Conference of New England (CNE) calendar in dramatic and historic fashion as the Rams took down Johnson & Wales, 3-1, Wednesday night at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court. 

Aislinn Lanigan inscribed her name in the Rams' record book as the newest member of the 1,000 assist club. The junior directed the blue-and-gold's 46-kill offense that took down the Wildcats for just the third time in program history. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Johnson & Wales 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (6-7, 1-0 CNE) | Johnson & Wales (8-5, 0-1 CNE)  

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Suffolk faced a seven-point, 10-3, hole early.  Lanigan started to orchestrate the Rams attack to spark a 10-4 spurt, which featured three kills from Emmy Thomander, to slice the gap to one, 14-13. The frame of runs fell in the Wildcats favor as a 4-1 stretch put the visitors ahead 18-14. From there, Suffolk took over as Grace Cervenka spiked a kill home to ignite four unanswered Rams points that leveled the playing field at 18-all. After Chloe Clement's go-ahead ace, the score would lock twice more with the last at 21-all. From there, Emily Norgrove closed it out for the blue-and-gold as the senior was responsible for half of the final four points on kills. 
• Down 16-9 in the second stanza, Suffolk strung together six consecutive points capped off by Chloe Clement's third kill of the night thanks to Lanigan's record-setting assist to knot things at 16.  After two more ties, Johnson & Wales sealed the frame, 25-20, and match at one set apiece, behind a 7-2 run.
• The third stanza featured 10 ties and four lead exchanges to set-up a thrilling end. The Rams were down 23-22 to force head coach Scott Blanchard to use a timeout. Out of the huddle JWU turned on set point, but the Rams would not accept defeat. The host would go on to score four unanswered to secure the set. That set-ending run featured a Nogrove kill and a go-ahead Cervenka ace, her second of the match.
• The flair for the dramatics carried into the fourth as see-saw action consumed the home stretch. Up 22-20, Suffolk saw JWU fight back and equalize matters three times with the last at 26. Thankfully for the blue-and-gold, back-to-back attack errors gave the Rams the set, 28-26, to take the match.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Lanigan's record-setting night saw the setter produce 36 assists, seven digs, and one block. 
• Norgrove led the Rams' attack with 14 kills to go along with five digs, one ace and one block. 
• Cervenka contributed 11 kills, four digs, two aces and one block. 
• Clement had an all-around performance with 11 digs, seven kills, one helper and one ace. 
• Thomander finished with eight kills, two blocks and two digs. 
• Kathy Mo pitched in 21 digs, four aces, three helpers and one kill. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk opened its CNE calendar at home for the third time and second straight season. 
• The Rams moved to 2-3 in its first CNE contest of the year. 
• Suffolk secured a victory in its first CNE match of the year for the first time since Sept. 23, 2023, a 3-2 triumph over Nichols. 
• The blue-and-gold won its first CNE opener at home in program history. Suffolk is now 1-2 when lifting the lid on its CNE schedule at Smith Courti. 
• The Rams battled Johnson & Wales in their first CNE outing of the campaign for the first time.
• It is the third time in Suffolk's CNE tenure that its league opener went four sets, first since 2022.
• Suffolk secured its league-opening win in four sets for the first time.
• The Rams are now 1-2 in match one of a conference calendar when the outing goes four sets. 
• Suffolk defeated JWU in back-to-back meetings for the first time in program history. 
• The win over the Wildcats moves the Rams to 3-28 all-time in the series. 
• Suffolk, who played JWU as a CNE opponent for the first time, is now 2-23 against the Wildcats in league play. 
• The blue-and-gold best the Wildcats in Boston for the first time in program history. Suffolk is now 1-12 as the home team versus JWU. 
• Suffolk and JWU needed four sets to decide a winner for the fourth time, first since Nov. 4, 2003.
• The win was the Rams first in four sets over the Wildcats. Suffolk is now 1-3 in four-set outcomes versus JWU. 
• Suffolk moved to 2-4 against JWU in the Blanchard era. 
• Lanigan became the seventh member of Suffolk's 1,000-assist club, first since Jayla Martinez '24accomplished the feat Nov. 4, 2023 versus Wentworth. 
• Lanigan (kills), Aislinn Campbell (total attacks, block assists), Norgrove (kills), Mo (kills, assists) and Mackenzie Heaney (total attacks) all matched a personal-best in their respective categories. 
• Lanigan notched a career-high one block solo.  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk takes its talents to Swarthmore, Pennsylvania this weekend, Sept. 26-27, for the Swarthmore Invitational. The Rams open play Friday at 4 p.m. against Scranton before facing Swarthmore and Stockton Saturday at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.