Oct. 13, 2010

Box Score | Dig for the Cure

River Hawk volleyball secured a Northeast-10 victory over Franklin Pierce, 3-1, on Wednesday night. Senior Jillian Hadder (Yucaipa, Calif.) paved the way with her fourth double-double of the season, recording 18 kills and 11 digs.

The victory improved the River Hawks' record to 9-7 overall and 4-2 in conference play. In defeat, the Ravens fall to 8-6 on the season and 2-5 in NE-10 action.

UMass Lowell got off to a hot start, slamming a 25-19 win in the opening set. Senior Sarah Coscia (Pittsfield, Mass.) tallied two kills and two blocks to ignite the offense.

Coscia stayed hot in the second set with six more kills as the River Hawks scored 25-21 victory. Sophomore setter Kristina Wiltjer (San Diego, Calif.) followed suit with nine assists and five digs in the second frame.

Despite seven kills and four digs from Hadder, UMass Lowell got off track in the third, falling 16-25. Wiltjer kept pace with eight more assists and four digs.

The River Hawks put Franklin Pierce away in the fourth with a 25-20 win to secure the match. Hadder and Coscia led the way with five and four kills, respectively. Wiltjer had her best set, pouring on 12 assists and five digs.

In addition to Hadder's offensive outburst, Coscia finished with 13 kills and three blocks. Wiltjer quarterbacked the attack with 34 total assists and 15 digs, marking her ninth double-double.

Two other River Hawks finished with double-digit digs, Carolyn Eddy (Dracut, Mass.) and Vicky Wong (Tewksbury, Mass.). Eddy led the way with a team-best 18 digs and Wong was close behind with 16.

With the win in the books, UMass Lowell now prepares to travel to New Haven on Friday night to face the Chargers at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the River Hawks return home to battle Southern Connecticut St. while hosting "Dig for the Cure". The event aims to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.