Sept. 4, 2010

Box Score

With their backs to the wall, the River Hawk volleyball team rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat Merrimack in the season opener on Saturday afternoon. In the miraculous comeback, senior Sarah Coscia (Pittsfield, Mass.) recorded 23 kills and a .479 attack percentage.

After falling down into a 0-2 hole, UMass Lowell peeled of three straight wins to earn its victory of the season (24-26, 21-25, 30-28, 25-14, and 15-10). To turn the corner after the pair of losses, the River Hawks hit a combined .410 and .333 in sets three and four, respectively.

"We showed a lot of character," said head coach Karen McNulty. "We were a little nervous and we had a couple of new people on the court, but I thought the seniors were a little flustered. They came through in the end, they settled down and I think it came down to who outlasted who." Along with Coscia's offensive explosion, senior Vicky Wong (Tewksbury

Along with Coscia's offensive explosion, senior Vicky Wong (Tewksbury, Mass.) contributed 17 kills and junior Lea Freeman (Methuen, Mass.) added a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs.

In a dynamic debut in her new role, sophomore Kristina Wiltjer (San Diego, Calif.) poured on a career-high 47 assists and 12 digs. Freshman Carolyn Eddy (Dracut, Mass.) also excelled in her inaugural game, compiling 32 digs in her first collegiate contest.

Merrimack's Nicole Duarte (Windham, N.H.) led the way for the Warriors with a team-best 12 kills.

UMass Lowell has time to savor its first win with its next match on September 10 when they head to Springfield for the AIC Invitational. The River Hawks will battle Lock Haven at 6 p.m. and Wilmington at 8 p.m.