Box Score Despite career-best efforts from sophomore Ella Merrill (Bermuda Dunes, Calif.) and junior Olivia Parkins (Dracut, Mass.), UMass Lowell volleyball dropped its season and home opener to Merrimack College in five sets on Tuesday night. Merrill scored 18 kills in the defeat, while Parkins tallied 39 assists.

The River Hawks (0-1) will have several chances to regain their swagger this weekend as they travel to Georgian Court on Friday, then face Goldey-Beacom and Bowie State on Saturday. The Warriors (1-4) enjoy a long break before returning to action on Sept. 13 at Saint Anselm.

Merrimack took the upper hand with a five point victory (25-20) in the opening set, led by a six kill effort from Stephanie Sheehan (Smithtown, N.Y.). UMass Lowell battled hard thanks to five kills from Merrill and eight assists from Parkins.

The River Hawks bounced back to take set two, 25-20. A balanced attack led the way, featuring three more kills from Merrill in addition to three from Anisa Smith (Moraga, Calif.).

UMass Lowell carried that momentum into the third set, winning 25-23 behind three more kills from Merrill. Junior libero Carolyn Eddy (Dracut, Mass.) was all over the court, digging eight balls to give her 16 through three sets.

The Warriors showed resilience in the fourth, rallying from match point twice to overtake the River Hawks, 28-26. Parkins dished out 13 assists while junior Brooke Peterson (Del Mar, Calif.) landed four kills. In all, the fourth set saw the score tied 13 times and featured eight lead changes.

The River Hawks struggled in the final set as Merrimack jumped out to an early lead and hung on for the 15-11 victory. The Warriors' Sheehan thrived again, landing five kills to power their offense.

For the night, UMass Lowell's Merrill shined in the loss with a career-high 18 kills, while adding eight digs and four service aces. Parkins also set a career-high in the passing game, dishing out 39 assists. Lastly, Eddy led both teams with 19 digs, along with four service aces.