Rhode Island College (RIC) earned a commanding 3–0 victory over Keene State Volleyball in Little East Conference (LEC) action on Saturday morning at The Murray Center. With the win, the Anchorwomen improved to 11–11 and 1–5 in the LEC, while the Owls fell to 11–12 and 3–4 in the LEC.
RIC was in command for much of the match behind elite offensive performances and timely defense. The duo of outside hitters Sarina Marines and Marina Colonis had 10 kills apiece, while right side hitter Talia Lewis added eight and a team-high four blocks. Setter Yuleisy Alvelo efficiently set the tone with 20 assists, while setter Grace Luchka chipped in 14. Defensively, libero Carolyn Bailey anchored the back row with 14 digs.
The first set saw RIC run away with the lead late, converting important sideouts to claim a 25–19 win. Keene State battled in a tightly contested second set, but RIC’s consistency at the net helped seal a 25–22 result. The third set was the closest of the match, with Keene State rallying behind junior outside hitter Lauren Bender who tallied eight kills and sophomore libero Delia Ryan who had four aces, 10 digs, but RIC held firm to close out the sweep, 25–23.
Keene State was led by Bender, junior outside hitter Colleen Fraser, who earned six kills, junior setter Alexis Small, who dished out 12 assists, while first-year middle blocker Katie Taylor had two blocks. Despite strong defensive efforts, the Owls couldn’t overcome RIC’s efficient attack and front-line dominance.
The Anchorwomen will look to build on their win in their next conference matchup, while the Owls aim to rebound as the regular season comes to a close.
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