Box Score
Sophomore standout
Ella Merrill (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.) scored her first double-double of the season with 14 kills and 10 digs to lead UMass Lowell over Post University, 3-0, on Friday night in the Costello Gym.
“I thought we played very well as a team, we had a lot of people do some nice things” said
head coach Karen McNulty.
The River Hawks (3-2), who have won three consecutive matches without dropping a set, will remain home for Saturday's showdown with Bridgeport at 1 PM. The Eagles (2-6) will travel overnight to Rindge, NH to face Franklin Pierce tomorrow at 1 PM.
The River Hawks got off to a rocky start in the opener, but eventual found their stride in a 25-16 win. Junior
Olivia Parkins (Dracut, Mass.) served UMass Lowell to eight consecutive points to seal the victory. Merrill led the charge with five kills, while junior
Carolyn Eddy (Dracut, Mass.) tallied six digs and two kills.
Merrill continued to fire on all cylinders, scoring five more kills to power the River Hawks to a 2-0 lead with a 25-17 win. Eddy was exceptionally versatile in the round, setting six assists, landing three kills, serving three aces and digging two more balls.
The Eagles put UMass Lowell to the test in the third set, but the home team eventually walked away with the 25-23 match-clinching win. Three River Hawks scored four kills in the final frame: Merrill and juniors
Jamie Muntz (West Hartford, Conn.) and
Brooke Peterson (Del Mar, Calif.).
For the match, Merrill led all scorers with 14 kills and 10 digs—her first double-double of the season. Muntz and Peterson enjoyed a strong showings as well. Muntz tallied eight kills and six total blocks, while Peterson scored eight kills, 11 digs and four service aces.
Parkins and Eddy split the setting duties, recording 22 and 10 assists, respectively. Eddy also finished with 10 digs, six kills and three service aces.
Post was led by senior Kelly Hayes (South Orange, N.J.) with eight kills and six digs, while junior Monica Aristizabal (Tustin, Calif.) led all players with 17 digs.
With UMass Lowell dominating the pace throughout, there were just six lead changes overall, highlighted by the River Hawks' performance in the second set in which they never trailed.