BRISTOL, R.I. – The Neumann University women's volleyball team dropped a back-and-forth match at Roger Williams University, 3-2, on Friday evening in the first match of the RWU Invitational. The Knights won the second and fourth sets, 25-16 and 25-18, before dropping the fifth set 11-15.
Julia Solomon led the Knights with 13 kills.
Bri Gautier tallied 11 kills.
Hannah Strohm recorded a team-high 15 digs.
Amiya Carter finished with a team-best 18 assists and 11 digs.
Emma Kovacs added 16 assists and 10 digs.
Neumann led during the early portion of the first set as the teams went back-and-forth. With Rogers Williams holding a 12-11 edge, the Hawks went on an 8-3 run to extend their lead to 20-14 and took the first set 25-18.
The Knights used two extended scoring stretches to take control of the second set, first answering a 5-4 deficit with five straight points behind Solomon's serving, including two aces. Roger Williams got back within one, 9-8, but the Knights responded with kills from
Soleil-La'Jour Staggs and Gautier before another surge pushed the lead to 18-10. During that run,
Melissa Eddy served the Knights through four straight points, with Solomon and Gautier adding kills. Neumann closed out the first set with back-to-back Eddy kills to finish a 25-16 set win.
The Hawks scored eight straight points early in set three to take an 11-4 lead. Late in the set, the Knights pulled back to within four, 22-18, on a kill by Eddy. Roger Williams tallied three of the final four points for the 25-19 set three win.
The Knights won the fourth set 25-18, breaking away after a 9-9 tie and finishing despite a late Roger Williams push. Neumann built a 16-11 advantage and increased margin to 22-13 behind a service by
Taylor Long. The Hawks tallied four straight points, but Gautier's kill sealed the set win.
Rogers Williams took an early 3-0 lead in set five. Neumann worked its way back to tie the deciding set at six. The Hawks answered with three of the next four points for a 10-7 edge. Solomon added two late kills to bring the Knights to 13-11, but Roger Williams closed the set with the next two points for the 3-2 match win.
Neumann (1-1) will continue at the RWU Invitational tomorrow with two matches. The Knights will face Babson at 11:00 AM, followed by Plymouth State at 1:00 PM.
