Volleyball Eliminated From CCC Tournament with 3-1 Loss to Roger Williams

BRISTOL, R.I. – The seventh-seeded Western New England University volleyball team was eliminated from the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-11, 25-12, 25-11) loss to second-seeded Roger Williams University in the quarterfinal round on Tuesday night at the RWU Campus Rec Center.

With the win, Roger Williams (14-13) advances to Thursday's semifinal round to face third-seeded Wentworth at 7 p.m. Western New England's season comes to a close at 12-18.

Top Performers
The Golden Bears received five kills each from senior outside hitter Ashley Matthews (Salem, N.H.), senior middle blocker Kierah Parker (Middletown, Conn.) and junior right side hitter Toni Fiore (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.).

Roger Williams was led by senior right side hitter Lara Lolacono (Lynbrook, N.Y.), who hit .531 with a match-best 19 kills and ten digs.

Game Review
Western New England trailed 8-4 early in the opening set, before winning four of the next five points to close the gap to one (9-8). The Golden Bears used a 5-1 spurt later in the frame and grabbed their first lead (15-14) on a kill by senior setter Caitlyn Sibiskie (Rockfall, Conn.).The two teams went back and forth with nine ties down the stretch, including a 23-23 deadlock late. The Golden Bears came away with the win, as Fiore recorded a kill and the Hawks followed with an attack error.

Roger Williams bounced back in the second set, as the Hawks established an early 5-1 lead that grew to 12-5 and eventually 17-7 en route to a 25-11 result for the home team.

The Hawks also came out of the gates strong in the third set with an early 7-2 advantage, but the Golden Bears used a 5-1 run to get to within one (8-7). Leading 13-11 shortly after, Roger Williams took control with a 5-0 spurt to extend the cushion to 18-11. After a service error ended their run, the Hawks won the final seven points in a row to close out the frame and take a 2-1 lead in the match.

Western New England held an early 3-2 edge in the fourth set, but the Hawks won eight of the next nine points to establish an 11-4 lead. The Golden Bears were unable to recover as Roger Williams cruised to a 25-11 win to seal the victory.

Notes
• Sibiskie finished with 22 assists and eight digs, while sophomore libero Taylor Deluga (Dennis, Mass.) tallied a team-high ten digs.
• The Hawks hit .562, .476 and .429 over the final three sets, respectively.