For the second time in ten days, UMass Lowell volleyball defeated Franklin Pierce in the Costello Gymnasium, 3-1. The River Hawks were led by a frontline trio of Lea Freeman (Methuen, Mass.), Ella Merrill (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.) and Hannah Rey (San Diego, Calif.), who each scored double-digit kills.

The victory propelled UMass Lowell to 6-3 overall and 3-1 in Northeast-10 play, while the Ravens dropped to 5-6 on the campaign and 0-1 in conference action. The match scores were 25-16, 25-23, 23-25 and 25-19.

"We played well and it was a total team effort," said head coach Karen McNulty. "In order to win in this conference everybody on the court has to be playing well. We had the advantage of throwing a couple different people in at a couple different times and they brought a fresh perspective to what we did on the court."

In the opening set, the River Hawks leapt out to a 9-2 advantage to put Franklin Pierce on its heels. Freeman set the tone with six kills on seven attempts, while Merrill added four of her own. Leading 19-15 late, UMass Lowell scored six of the next seven points to pocket the set before the Ravens could gain their bearings.

The second set appeared to be running the same course, but when the score reached 19-15, Franklin Pierce heated up. Despite capturing eight of the next 12 points, the Ravens couldn't overtake UMass Lowell who held a 24-23 advantage. Rey slammed home a decisive kill to close out the set.

That kill by Rey proved to be the coming attraction for set three as the freshman tallied five more. Even with her strong showing, the River Hawks couldn't complete the sweep as Franklin Pierce gutted out a two-point win to stave off elimination. The Ravens' Ashley Bruce (Hampton Falls, N.H.), Natasha Ray (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Catie Swiderski (Rocky Point, N.Y.) each scored three kills in a balanced attack.

Spurred by the loss, UMass Lowell raced to a 7-1 start in the fourth set, forcing Franklin Pierce to call timeout. Utilizing four more kills from Rey and three by Anisa Smith (Moraga, Calif.), the River Hawks stayed aggressive in a 25-19 match-clinching victory.

The win marked UMass Lowell's sixth in its last seven matches--a stretch in which its lost just six sets.

For the night, Freeman led the charge with a match-high 14 kills and three total blocks. Rey trailed close behind with 12 kills and 14 digs, while Merrill scored 11 kills and 10 digs.

In the passing game, setter Kristina Wiltjer (Temecula, Calif.) tallied 44 assists and 11 digs to secure her seventh double-double of the season. Aiding her success, sophomore Carolyn Eddy (Dracut, Mass.)picked up a team-best 15 digs.

The Ravens were led offensively by Swiderski who scored 13 kills. Libero Lauren Miller (Alexandria, Ind.) tallied a match-high 22 digs.

With the win in the books, UMass Lowell hits the road once more. The River Hawks will visit Saint Anselm on Friday and Merrimack the following Wednesday, both scheduled for 7 p.m. starts.