FULLERTON, Calif – The UMass Lowell Volleyball team dropped two matches in the opening day of the Fullerton/Riverside Classic at Titan Gym on the campus of Cal State Fullerton on Friday. 

"I think the girls played hard, they came out in the first match with a lot of energy and came into the second match with energy as well," said Head Coach Resa Provanzano. "We had some communication errors late in the set so we talked about carrying that through and taking care of the simple stuff and when we do that, we are very good."

In the late match, the River Hawks fell to the Titans by a 3-0 score. The set scores were 22-25, 19-25 and 16-25.

Senior middle blocker Lade Adeniyi (Springfield, Ill.) managed a team-high seven kills, while freshman outside hitter Kate Bilyeu (Omaha, Neb.) tallied another six kills in the loss for the River Hawks. Sophomore middle blocker Jessica Jubb (Millis, Mass.) added five kills and three total blocks against the Titans. Senior libero Lindsey Visvardis (Homer Glen, Ill.) totaled 11 digs, while junior McKenna Bova (Corona, Calif.) amassed 23 assists. Sophomore setter Malia Randolph (McDonough, Ga.) compiled three service aces in the loss for UMass Lowell.

UMass Lowell hit at a .219 clip with 10 kills in the opening frame vs. the Titans. 

In the season opener, UMass Lowell was defeated in straight sets by Eastern Washington. The set scores were 23-25, 25-27 and 22-25.

Adeniyi, Bilyeu (Omaha, Neb.) and Ariel Dulaney (Bay Minette, Ala.) all recorded a team-high nine kills in the losing effort for the River Hawks. Dulaney also added a career-high 13 digs. Bilyeu, Aleyna Kennel (Monument, Colo.) and Randolph all made their collegiate debuts for the River Hawks in the match. Bilyeu notched a team-best .261 hitting percentage for the River Hawks, while Adeniyi hit at a .222 clip.

UMass Lowell recorded nine service aces, including seven in the second frame along. Senior Erica Cappellino (Penfield, N.Y.) tallied a career-high five service aces in the match vs. the Eagles.

The River Hawks recorded 13 kills in the opening set, posting a .167 team hitting percentage.

Bova finished the match with 27 assists, while Visvardis posted 17 digs in a strong defensive effort.

The River Hawks return to action on Saturday, August 25th against UC-Riverside to close out the tournament. Match time from SRC Arena in Oceanside, Calif is 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET. 
 
POST-MATCH NOTES: Kate Bilyeu recorded 15 kills on the day in the first two matches of her River Hawk career.