Women's Volleyball Can Not Stop Bison

DUDLEY, Mass. - The Elms College Women's Volleyball team traveled to Nichols College for a non-conference matchup on Tuesday night.

BASICS
Score: Elms College 0 (15, 14, 19) | Nichols College 3 (25, 25, 25)
Records: Blazers 0-3, 0-0 (GNAC) | Bison 1-1, 0-0 (CNE)

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Opening set would begin with Nichols scoring four-straight points but kills by sophomores Quiana Gibbs (Porterville, Cali.) and Victoria Solis (Springfield, Mass.) and a service ace by senior Francesca Dirienzo (West Springfield, Mass.) to help Elms get within a point of tying the set. The Bison would continue to add to their lead, but the Blazers would continue to inch their way back into the set with the help from a service ace by junior Angelica Marks (Miami, Fla.) and kills by junior Alysha Izquierdo (Holyoke, Mass.), Gibbs, Dirienzo, and Solis. Nichols would continue to keep momentum on their side to secure the first set 25-17.

The second set would again see a kill by Gibbs to give an early advantage, but the Bison would again regain offensive possession and gain a large lead on the Blazers. Nichols would stretch their lead by seven points until an Elms rally, that included three kills by Izquierdo and an ace by Solis, that would cut the Bison lead down to two points. Nichols would once again extend their lead, even with another kill by Izquierdo would not be able to keep the Blazers in the set, losing 25-14.

The third and final set would start with Elms earning an early lead with the help from kills by Gibbs and Izquierdo and back-to-back service aces from Dirienzo. The two opponents would trade the lead back and forth until a service ace by junior Jaylen Holman (Las Cruces, N.M.) helped the Blazers gain a two-point lead, shortly followed by a kill by Sollis to extend their lead. The Bison would regain the lead, with offensive efforts by Sollis and Holman making a handful of kills, but Nichols would not let go of their lead, securing the set and the match by a final score of 25-19.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Holman recorded 13 assists, eight digs, a kill, and a service ace.

• Gibbs would add eight digs and six kills.

• Izquierdo had seven digs and six kills.

• Direnzo made eight digs, six kills, three service aces, and a block.

UP NEXT: The Elms Women's Volleyball team will travel to the Wentworth Institute of Technology in a non-conference match on Saturday, September 5th at 6 PM.

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