WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Home of the 2008 GNAC Champions

HEAD COACH: Craig Kolek (10th year)
PHONE: (603) 897-8467; ckolek@rivier.edu

ASSISTANT COACH: Craig Martin (4th Year)
CAPTAINS: Nicole Hersey, Colleen Van Cura
TRAINER: Keith Rupp
MANAGERS: Jared Rapoza, Hilary Gordon

RAIDERS RECEIVE GNAC HONORS

The 2008 GNAC All Conference Teams were announced with 3 Raiders leading the way.  Seniors Laura Ciummo, Colleen Van Cura, and Nicole Hersey finish their careers as members of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference All Conference Team.  Setter Laura Ciummo was named to the All GNAC First Team after leading the GNAC with 9.45 assists/set and leading Rivier to it's second GNAC Championship in as many years.  Ciummo was also selected to the GNAC All Tournament Team. 
 
Libero Colleen Van Cura was selected to the All GNAC Second Team after leading the Raiders with 4.30 dig/game throughout the season.  Van Cura's steady play in the back row garnished her GNAC Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as being named to the GNAC All Sportsmanship Team.  Due to her play in the GNAC playoffs she was also named the GNAC Tournament Most Valuable Player becoming the first defensive player in Raider history to do so.
 
Outside hitter Nicole Hersey was named to the GNAC All Conference Third Team after leading Rivier with 2.91 kills/set on offense.  Hersey became only the second player in Raider history to reach 1,000 kills and is the All Time Leader for kills in a career.

RIVIER'S LAURA CIUMMO SELECTED AS ONE OF NEW ENGLAND'S TOP PLAYERS

November 7, 2008

NEWVA Announces Senior Classic Invitees

BRISTOL, R.I.- The New England Women’s Volleyball Association announced today New England’s top 32 Division III senior volleyball players invited to compete in the 2008 NEWVA Senior Classic, Sunday, Nov. 16, at Wellesley College.

The annual event features the area’s top seniors competing in various competitions leading up to the afternoon’s all-star match. Players were selected by a vote of all participating member head coaches following the nomination process.

The 32 players selected hail from 15 different states and the UK and represent 19 collegiate institutions from five separate conferences. The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) boasts 15 players in the event, while both The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC) and New England Metro-Atlantic Conference (NEWMAC) each send six players. The University Athletic Conference (UAA), Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) and the Little East Conference (LEC) also are represented.

Warm-up for the event begins at 10:30 a.m. with the match scheduled to begin following the morning’s competitions at approximately 12:30 p.m.

Established nearly 25 years ago, the New England Women’s Volleyball Association is open to all collegiate institutions in New England sponsoring Division III women’s volleyball. Membership has grown to 60 members in 2008, representing eight conferences.

Listed below are the 32 invitees to the 2008 NEWVA Senior Classic.

School     Name     Position     Hometown

Amherst  Sara Heller  Setter  La Canada, CA 
Amherst  Hannah Wirth   Middle Blocker  Pacific Palisades, CA 
Bates  Beth Billington  Middle Blocker  St. Paul, MN 
Brandeis  Violette Ruggiero  Libero  Paradise Valley, AZ
Brandeis  Lorraine Wingenbach  Outside Hitter  Buffalo, NY 
Colby  Meredith Lawler  Middle Blocker  Lynnfield, MA 
Colby  Jenny Lawrence  Setter  Lafayette, CA 
Colby-Sawyer  Taylor Forsberg  Libero  Moultonborough, NH
Colby-Sawyer  Kristin Romanko  Middle Blocker  Mansfield, MA
Conn. College  Jenna Tjossem  Middle Blocker  Vail, CO
Conn. College  Caitlin Tomaska  Outside Hitter  Solana Beach, CA 
Emmanuel  Lindsay Parker  Outside Hitter  New Bedford, MA
Endicott  Hayley Janelle  Middle Blocker  Madbury, NH
Endicott  Brittany Nolan  Libero   Monroe, CT
Keene St.  Brittany O'Bryant  Middle Blocker  Merrimack, NH
Middlebury  Lindsay Patterson  Outside Hitter  Aspen, CO 
MIT  Lindsay Hunting  Libero  West Chester, PA 
UNE  Alex Toregas  Middle Blocker  Chevy Chase, MD 
Rivier  Laura Ciummo  Setter  Burrillville, RI
Roger Williams  Kirsten Bosworth  Setter  Centerville, MA 
Springfield  Aylene Ilkson  Outside Hitter  Baldwin, NY 
Springfield  Heidi Yohe  Libero  Deer Park, WA 
Trinity  Emily Borsting  Right Side  Portland, OR 
Trinity  Nicole Cahill  Middle Blocker  Quincy, MA 
Tufts  Kate Denniston  Middle Blocker  Tarzana, CA 
Tufts  Stacy Filocco  Outside Hitter  Olney, MD 
Tufts  Natalie Goldstein  Libero  Piedmont, CA 
Tufts  Maya Ripecky  Def. Specialist  Chicago, IL 
USCGA  Nicole Gurr  Middle Blocker  Acton, CA 
Wellesley  Jessica Duff  Outside Hitter  Milton, Abingdon, UK
Wellesley  Emily Peters  Libero  Temescal Valley, CA
Wesleyan  Lisa Drennan  Outside Hitter  Ann Arbor, MI

November 13, 2008

RIVIER BLOCKED BY UNION AT NCAA TOURNAMENT

SCHENECTADY, NY
Union College defeated Rivier College, 3-1 in the final match of the first day of the 2008 NCAA Division III Union Regionals at the Viniar Athletic Center Thursday night. The Dutchwomen (36-5) came back to win, 18-25, 25-12, 25-12 and 25-13. Rivier, in the tournament for a third time and second straight, finishes the 2008 season with a 25-11 record.
The Raiders were led by senior setter Laura Ciummo (Burrillville, RI), who dished out 27 assists, and outside hitter Nicole Hersey (Milton, NH), who had nine kills. Freshman outside hitter/defensive specialist Lauren Saccoccio (Warwick, RI) added seven digs and 5 kills for Rivier.  Senior Colleen Van Cura (Niantic, CT) tallied a team high 16 digs for the Raiders.
The Raiders won the opening game, taking the lead after a 4-4 tie and never relinquishing the lead. Union trailed 17-13 but never got closer and lost by seven. Union jumped out to a 10-5 lead in game two and after the Raiders pulled to within three, trailing 14-11, the Dutchwomen finished the game with an 11-1 run.
Sets three and four featured much of the same as Union used their big block to close the match.
 
(7) Rivier College        1        25  12  12  13
(2) Union College        3        18  25  25  25 .

November 8, 2008

Rivier Wins Back to Back GNAC Volleyball Championships, Top JWU 3-1

November 8, 2008
Nashua, N.H.. – Top seeded Rivier College women’s volleyball won a hard fought battle for the second straight season against #2 seed Johnson & Wales University, 3-1 at the Muldoon Health & Fitness Center on Saturday afternoon. 

Johnson & Wales opened the match with a 25-21 victory in set one as the Raiders started out shaky on serve receive.  However after gaining some confidence and momentum at the end of set 1, Rivier then knotted the match at 1-1 with a 25-17 win in the second set.  The host Raiders then took the 2-1 advantage with a 25-22 win in set three after trailing 22-20 late in the set.  The Raiders closed out the match with a 25-21 win in set four.

Rivier was led by sophomore Nicole Rodriguez (Newton, MA) with 11 kills, 4 digs, 3 blocks, and 3 ace serves while senior Nicole Hersey (Milton, NH) also recorded 11 kills and 4 digs in the victory.  Senior Colleen Van Cura (Niantic, CT), the Most Valuable Player of the GNAC Championship, had 17 digs on the afternoon.  Senior Laura Ciummo (Burrillville, RI) led the Raider offense with 38 assists while junior Lindsay Chace (E. Providence, RI) hit a team high .357 percent and blocked 3 Wildcat attacks in the four game set.
 
Sophomore Danielle Jacques (Derry, NH) was steady with 8 kills for the Raiders including 1 big put-away late in set four.  Freshmen Danielle Stoodley (Salem, NH), Lauren Saccoccio (Warwick, RI) , and Emileigh Cenedella (Townsend, MA) were strong once again for the Raiders.  Stoodley scooped up 12 digs, including a backbreaking lip in set 4 to turn momentum towards the Raiders.  Saccoccio put down big kills all match and helped with 8 digs and 2 aces.  Cenedella scrambled for 7 digs and served 3 lasers for aces. 

Ciummo, Chace and Van Cura were named to the All Tournament Team for the Raiders.

Rivier Improves to 25-10 and have earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championship.  Location, times, and opponents are TBA.
 
Match Summary
JWU (26-13)  25  17  22  21
RC (25-10)   21  25  25  25

All Tournament Team

Amanda Machado      - Emmanuel
Lauren Zaniboni         - Emerson
Catherine Bravo        - Johnson & Wales
Ashley Constantino    - Johnson & Wales
Lindsay Chace        - Rivier
Laura Ciummo        - Rivier
Colleen Van Cura    - Rivier (Most Valuable Player)

November 6, 2008

RAIDERS RULE; DEFEAT SAINTS 3-1

RIVIER EARNS CHANCE TO DEFEND GNAC TITLE

Nashua, NH
Rivier College (11-1 GNAC; 24-10 overall) defeated Emmanuel College 3-1 in a GNAC semi-finals match on Thursday night.  The Raiders defense and serving once again were the reason for the victory.  RIV tallied 93 digs and 14 ace serves in the match allowing for an 8 point deficit to be erased in set 1 followed by wins in sets 2 and 4 to close the match.  Senior libero Colleen Van Cura led the defensive charge with a scintillating 23 digs.  Freshmen Emileigh Cenedella, Danielle Stoodley, and Lauren Saccoccio combined for 45 digs to round off the Raider back court.  The trio also combined for 12 of the Raiders' 14 ace serves.  Junior Lindsay Chace was huge at the net with a team high 5 blocks.  Chace also was great on offense with 7 kills on just 20 swings with only 1 error for a .300 hitting percentage.  Senior setter Laura Ciummo dished out 42 assists and chipped in with 7 digs and 2 blocks.  Outside hitter Nicole Hersey bombed in 14 kills as did her counterpart, Saccoccio. Sophomore's Danielle Jacques and Nicole Rodriguez combined for 11 kills and 3 blocks. 
 
(1) Rivier College            3        29  25  26  25
(4) Emmanuel College     1        27  17  28  15

November 4, 2008

RAIDERS DEFEAT LASELL IN GNAC QUARTER-FINALS

Nashua, NH
Rivier College (11-1 GNAC; 23-10 overall) defeated Lasell College in the first round of the GNAC playoffs 3-0.  Rivier, the #1 seed in the tournament, averaged 28 digs/set to control the visiting Lasers attack.  First year player Lauren Saccoccio led all Raiders with 24 digs followed by senior libero Colleen Van Cura with 23 digs.  Junior Becky Gautreau and freshman Danielle Stoodley combined for 22 digs to round off the defense.  Senior setter Laura Ciummo directed the Raider attack with 44 assists and also served tough with 4 ace serves.  Senior Nicole Hersey led all hitters with 16 kills followed by Saccoccio with 9 kills.  Junior middle hitter Lindsay Chace put down 7 kills in just 2 games while senior middle hitter Erin McIver helped with 3 kills.  Sophomore Brittni Taylor played well with 4 kills and 4 digs off the bench.
 
(1) Rivier College        3        25  25  25
(8) Lasell College        0        20  12  19

November 1, 2008

RAIDERS SWEEP SIMMONS AND LASELL

SENIORS PREVAIL
 
Nashua NH
Rivier College (11-1 GNAC; 22-10 overall), winners of 11 straight matches, defeated a pair of GNAC foes to finish the regular season as the Great Northeast Athletic Conference regular season champions.  The Raiders defeated both Simmons College and Lasell College in three straight sets to clinch their first regular season title in 6 years.  Rivier's four seniors, playing their last regular season match in The Muldoon, went out in style.  Setter Laura Ciummo (Burrillville, RI) dished out 71 assists to add to her Raider record of 3,709 career assists while outside hitter Nicole Hersey (Milton, NH) added 17 more kills to her record of 1,148 kills.  Defensive player Colleen Van Cura (Niantic, CT) scooped up 36 more digs pushing her career total even more over the 1000 mark and Erin McIver (Haverhill, MA), as usual, did a little bit of everything with 5 kills, 4 digs, 1 ace and 1 block. 
Rivier's seniors had plenty of help in the clinching victories.  Sophomores Danielle Jacques (Derry, NH) bombed in 18 kills while fellow classmate Brittni Taylor (East Lyme, CT) put down 9 kills on just 15 swings with no errors.  The freshmen trio of Danielle Stoodley (Salem, NH), Lauren Saccoccio (Warwick, RI), and Emileigh Cenedella (Townsend, MA) laced in 4 ace serves apiece and passed well with good defense. 
 
Rivier College           3        25  25  25
Simmons College     0        15  18  20
 
Rivier College           3        25  25  25
Lasell College          0        15  15  19

October 30, 2008

RAIDERS PICK UP WIN #20

Nashua NH
Rivier College (20-10; 9-1 GNAC) put out their best "trick" line-up and in return received a "treat" of reaching 20 wins for the season.  The Raiders scary offense, which consisted of 4 players 5'6" or smaller along with two players 5'7" and 5'8", got the job done and defeated U-Mass Dartmouth 3-1.  Outsized but not outplayed, Rivier placed 3 players in double digits for kills along with a 4th player narrowly missing with 9 kills.  The Raiders defense, perhaps influenced by Borat, Quail Man, and The Jeanie in the Bottle who all were in attendance, was outstanding tallying 76 digs in the 4 set match.  Junior Lindsay Chace played her best all around match to date.  Lo scooped up a team high 25 digs, made only 2 receive errors on a team high 28 attempts, and scored 9 points.  Fellow junior Becky Gautreau, a 5'4 middle hitter from Burrillville Rhode Island, played great defense with 12 digs and a team high 2 blocks and put down 3 kills.  Outside hitters Nicole Hersey and Emileigh Cenedella both tallied a double double with 16 kills-17 digs and 13 kills-10 digs respectively.  Lauren Saccoccio did it all with 10 kills, 7 digs, 21/21 on receive, 5 service aces, 3 assists, and 1 block while Colleen Van Cura returned to her setting ways with 43 assists.
 
Rivier College            3            25  26  25  25
U-Mass Dartmouth    1            19  28  23  21

October 25, 2008

RAIDERS 9-1 IN GNAC; DEFEAT NORWICH AND JOHNSON & WALES

HERSEY #1 ALL TIME FOR KILLS
 
Providence, RI
Rivier College (9-1 GNAC; 19-10 overall) swept Norwich University 3-0 and defeated Johnson & Wales University 3-2 to improve their conference record to 9-1.  In the first match of the day against Norwich, Rivier started out ice cold to go down 12 points in set one.  The Raiders came storming back however and rallied to a 27-25 first set victory.  Rivier rode the huge wave of momentum and defeated the Cadets handily in the next two sets to complete the 3 game sweep.  Outside hitters Nicole Hersey and Lauren Saccoccio led the Raiders with a combined 21 kills and 8 digs.  Saccoccio also had a team high 4 service aces.  Libero Colleen Van Cura tallied a team high 15 digs while Erin McIver, Becky Gautreau, and Brittni Taylor played well and got it done off the bench. 
In the second match Rivier kept their chances of first place in the GNAC alive with a 3-2 win over previously undefeated Johnson & Wales University.  Once again the Raiders started out sluggish in set one and struggled to find their confidence.  After a first set victory JWU kept the pressure on tight in the second set and looked to go up 2-0 in the match but some big digs by Rivier turned the tables and rallied the Raiders for a second set win.  The Raiders, who got stronger as the match went on, proceeded to win set three and narrowly missed closing out the match with a tough extra points 28-30 loss in set four.  Rivier jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the sudden death fifth set and never looked back for the 5 set victory.  Senior setter Laura Ciummo picked up a double double directing the Raider offense with 47 assists and playing good defense with 10 digs.   Sophomore's Danielle Jacques and Nicole Rodriguez led the Raider attack and were clutch in the end tallying 13 kills, 3 blocks and 2 ace serves apiece.  The nucleus of Colleen Van Cura, Danielle Stoodley, Lauren Saccoccio, and Emileigh Cenedella were the main cogs in a stingy Raider defense combining for 49 of the Raiders 79 digs in the match.
Senior Nicole Hersey became the all time kill leader in Raider history surpassing the previous record of 1110 kills set by Kori Chace (Class of 2008).  Hersey did it in style with an impressive 13 kill, 1 error, .324 hitting percentage performance to lead her team to victory.
 
Rivier College                                 3                     27  25  25
Norwich University                          0                     25  8    14
 
Rivier College                            3                    19  25  25  28  15
Johnson & Wales University        2                    25  23  22  30  11   

October 23, 2008

RAIDERS EXTEND WIN STREAK TO 6 

VAN CURA BREAKS ALL TIME GAMES RECORD

Chestnut Hill, MA
Rivier College (7-1 GNAC; 17-10 overall) won it's sixth straight match with a 3-1 victory over Pine Manor College on Thursday night.  Sophomore Danielle Jacques' steady play helped balance the Raiders when they needed it most.  The 5'9 opposite hitter put down 8 kills (8 - 2 - 16 - .375) and laced in a team high 4 ace serves in just 3 games.  Senior Nicole Hersey led all Raiders with 20 kills and junior middle hitter Lindsay Chace had 8 put-aways.  Freshman defensive specialist Danielle Stoodley was solid with 10 digs and 2 ace serves. 
Senior Colleen Van Cura played in her 441st set becoming the all time leader in games played for the Raiders surpassing Lindsay Marshall's (Class of 2008) record of 440 games.  Van Cura celebrated her accomplishment with a team high 19 digs against the Gators. 
 
Rivier College              3           25  22  25  25
Pine Manor College    1           10  25  11  21

RODRIGUEZ NAMED GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Nicole Rodriguez, a 5'8 sophomore middle hitter from Newton, Massachusetts, has been named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Player of the week.  Rodriguez' 3.00 kills per game led the Raiders to a 3-0 week including conference wins over Mount Ida College, St Joseph College (CT), and Suffolk University.  Rodriguez started the week with a 8 kill, .471 hitting percentage, and 3 ace serve gem in a 3-0 GNAC win over the Mt Ida Mustangs then wrapped up a stellar week with a combined 13 kill, .588 percentage, 3 ace serve performance against St Joseph and Suffolk University.  Rodriguez hit for a .529 clip for the week with 21 kills on 34 attempts with just 3 errors.  Rodriguez is the third different Raider this season to be name the GNAC Player of the Week following Laura Ciummo on 9/8/08 and Nicole Hersey on 10/6/08.

October 21, 2008

RIVIER SWEEPS DANIEL WEBSTER

Nashua NH
Rivier College (16-10 overall; 6-1 GNAC) defeated cross-town rivals Daniel Webster College in a non-conference match at The Muldoon on Tuesday night.  The Raiders jumped out to a 11-0 lead in set one, thanks to the tough serving of senior Laura Ciummo (3 aces serves), and never looked back in the match. Senior middle hitter Erin McIver paced the Raider offense with 8 kills on 19 attempts with only 1 error.  First year player Kate-Lyn Breault was big in the middle as well as she put down 3 kills and led Rivier with 2 blocks.  Freshman setter Caitlin Callahan directed the Raider offense with 16 assists and chipped in with 3 digs and 3 ace serves.  Utility player Danielle Stoodley was solid with 4 digs, 3 ace serves and 2 kills while junior Becky Gautreau played well with 4 kills, 4 digs, and steady passing.
 
Rivier College                     3        25  25  25
Daniel Webster College       0          8  20  15

October 18, 2008

RAIDERS CRUISE

2-0 IN GNAC TRI-MATCH

W. Hartford, CT
Rivier College (6-1 GNAC; 15-10 overall) defeated two Great Northeast Athletic Conference opponents, both in three straight sets, to improve their conference record to 6-1.  A balanced Raider offense directed by senior setter Laura Ciummo (6.5 assists/game) set the tone for the match.  Nicole Rodriguez (6 kills), Nicole Hersey (5 kills), and Lauren Saccoccio (4 kills) were the leading point scorers for Rivier.  Saccoccio, a first year player from Warwick Rhode Island, also tallied 6 digs and 3 service aces.  Erin McIver, Brittni Taylor, and Kate-Lyn Breault combined for 7 kills to round off the attack.  RIV was just as solid on defense as Becky Gautreau led all Raiders with 8 digs while first year players Emileigh Cenedella and Caitlin Callahan combined for 12 digs.  Cenedella also served a match high 5 ace serves. 
 
Rivier was just as strong in the second match defeating Suffolk University in 65 minutes.  Laura Ciummo once again was the cornerstone of the Raider victory.  The 5'5 senior setter from Harrisville Rhode Island orchestrated the Raider offense to a .320 hitting percentage while dishing out 28 assists.  Ciummo also set the tone on defense with a team high 8 digs and 4 ace serves.  Senior Nicole Hersey and sophomore Danielle Jacques each put down 8 kills while combining for a .361 hitting percentage while tri-middles Nicole Rodriguez, Lindsay Chace, and Erin McIver bombed in a combined 11 kills and a .563 hitting percentage.  In the back row senior Colleen Van Cura passed her usual nails going 9 for 9 on receive while Emileigh Cenedella once again laced in a team high 5 ace serves and scooped up 7 digs.
 
Rivier College           3            25  25  25
St Joseph College     0            13  9  20
 
Rivier College          3            25  25  25
Suffolk University    0            16  14  16     

October 13, 2008

RAIDERS ROLL PAST MUSTANGS

Newton, MA
Rivier College (4-1 GNAC; 13-10 overall) defeated Mount Ida College in three straight sets to win their fourth GNAC match of the year.  Newton native Nicole Rodriguez led the Raiders with a team high 8 kills and 3 service aces in the victory.  The sophomore middle hitter hit for an efficient .470 making no errors on her 17 attempts.  Senior Laura Ciummo directed the Raider attack with 24 assists and also kept the Mustang offense off balance with great serving and 3 ace serves.   Junior middle hitter Lindsay Chace was efficient with 3 kills on 5 attempts with no errors and also tallied 1 block.  Freshman Danielle Stoodley led the Raider defensive charge with a team high 9 digs followed by 7 digs apiece by Colleen Van Cura and Emileigh Cenedella.

 
Rivier College            3        25  25  25
Mount Ida College      0        22  20  16

October 9, 2008

RAIDERS SWEEP MONKS

Standish, ME
Rivier College (3-1 GNAC; 12-10 overall) defeated St Joseph's College (ME) in 3 straight sets to win their 3rd conference match of the season.  Senior Erin McIver led the way for the Blue and White with a team high 7 kills, 2 blocks, and 3 service aces.  Sophomore Brittni Taylor had a good offensive match with 6 kills on 13 swings with just 1 error for a .385 hitting percentage while first year setter Caitlin Callahan directed the offense well with 21 assists.  Outside hitters Becky Gautreau and Danielle Stoodley combined for 7 kills and middle hitter Kate-Lyn Breault rounded off the attack with 2 kills of her own.  Gautreau and Stoodley were also active on defense with a combined 13 digs while Emileigh Cenedella led all Raiders with 12 digs. 
 
Rivier College            3            25  25  25
St. Joseph's (ME)       0            13  17  18

HERSEY NAMED GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Nicole Hersey, a 5'8 senior outside hitter from Milton New Hampshire, has been named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Player of the week.  Hersey's 2.48 kills per game led the Raiders to a 3-3 week including a conference victory over Emerson College.  Hersey started the week with a 15 kill performance in a 3-1 GNAC win over the Lions then wrapped up a stellar week by becoming only the second Raider in school history to record 1000 kills in a career.  The milestone point came during the last few plays of set one against Bates College at the Mid Coast Invitational.  To date Hersey has recorded 1050 kills for her career.

October 7, 2008

RAIDERS FALL TO SAINTS

VAN CURA REACHES MAJOR MILESTONE
 
Nashua NH
Colleen Van Cura became only the second player in Raider history to reach 1,000 digs in a career.  The 5'5 senior libero from Niantic, Connecticut scooped up a team high 29 digs in a 5 set loss to Emmanuel College to help her reach the major milestone and propel her into second place for digs in a career in the Raider record books.  Van Cura was tremendous for the Raiders in the loss averaging 5.8 digs per game and passing a perfect 28 for 28 on receive.   Freshmen Danielle Stoodley and Lauren Saccoccio combined for 23 digs to round off the defense.  On offense the Raiders were paced by senior Nicole Hersey with a team high 17 kills and by sophomore Nicole Rodriguez who punched in 10 kills on 23 attempts with just 3 errors for a team high .304 hitting percentage.
 
Rivier College           2         23  25  25  22  13
Emmanuel College    3         25  23  17  25  15

October 3-5, 2008

RAIDERS 2-3 ON WEEKEND

HERSEY REACHES MAJOR MILESTONE

Senior Nicole Hersey became only the second player in program history to reach 1000 kills in a career reaching the milestone in a hard fought 5 set loss to Bates College on Friday night. The 5'8 outside hitter from Milton, NH tallied her 1000th kill in the first set against Bates and went on to score 37 total kills for the rest of the tournament to lead the Raiders.  Senior setter Laura Ciummo, who reached 3000 assists earlier in the year, directed the Raiders offense well tallying 127 assists. Senior libero Colleen Van Cura was steady all weekend as she lead the Raider defense with 61 digs along with solid passing. Sophomore opposite Danielle Jacques put down 36 kills while freshman Lauren Saccoccio lead all Raiders with 10 service aces. First year setter Caitie Callahan filled in nicely with 28 assists and utility player Becky Gautreau scooped up 28 digs while punching in 9 kills on 17 attempts with just 2 errors for a .411 hitting percentage.
 
Rivier College               2        25  22  25  22  8
Bates College               3        21  25  18  25  15
 
Rivier College               2        25  25  22  17  8
Colby College               3        22  19  25  25  15
 
Rivier College                1        25  14  11  13
Bowdoin College            3       19  25  25  25
 
Rivier College                           3        25  30  25
University of New England          0        21  28  13
 
Rivier College                           3        25  25  25
Albertus Magnus College            0       16  10  10

September 30, 2008

RAIDERS TAME LIONS

Nashua NH-Rivier College (1-0 GNAC; 9-6 overall) defeated Emerson College 3-1 to win their opening GNAC match of the 2008 season.  The defending GNAC champions set the tone early with outstanding defense and tough serving to keep the visiting Emerson team off balance.  RIV lipped 57 Lion attacks for a sensational 14.25 digs/game average. Senior libero Colleen Van Cura lead the defensive charge with 17 digs. 

Freshmen trio Danielle Stoodley, Emileigh Cenedella, and Lauren Saccoccio were outstanding as well with a combined 25 digs.  Stoodley and Cenedella were flawless on receive as well while Saccoccio led all Raiders with 4 ace serves. Lindsay Chace elevated her play in the middle hitter position to give RIV a needed boost on offense.  The 5'8 middle hitter laced in 8 kills on 17 attempts with just 3 errors for a .294 hitting percentage all while leading the team with 3 blocks. Captain Nicole Hersey once again led the offense with 15 kills including some timely put-aways to seal the victory and leader Laura Ciummo played a good all around game with 43 assists, 6 digs, and 4 kills. Sophomores Nicole Rodriguez and Danielle Jacques reached double digits on offense once again with 11 and 10 kills respectively.
 
Rivier College       3        25  25  23  27
Emerson College  1        23  17  25  25

September 27, 2008

RAIDERS BACK ON TRACK

Nashua NH-Rivier College (8-6 overall; 0-0 GNAC) defeated Rhode Island College 3-1 to stop their losing streak at two games and jumps back into the win column.  Seniors Nicole Hersey and Erin McIver paced the Raiders with 12 and 8 kills respectively along with 1 block apiece.  McIver, a 5'8 middle hitter from Haverhill MA, had only 1 hitting error with her 8 kills on 17 swing attempts for a tidy .412 hitting percentage.  Sophomore Brittni Taylor tallied 5 kills and 9 digs in just 3 games while Nicole Rodriguez once again led the Raiders serving attack with 4 ace serves.    Senior Colleen Van Cura was her usual steady self with 15 digs in just 3 sets while newcomers Emileigh Cenedella and Danielle Stoodley combined for 18 digs in the back row. 
 
Rivier extended their win streak to two games with a 3-0 sweep of Framingham State College.  Rivier's four seniors led the Raiders in four separate categories to pace the Blue and White.  Laura Ciummo's 29 assists, Nicole Hersey's 11 kills, Colleen Van Cura's 14 digs and Erin McIver's 4 ace serves downed the Rams of FSC.  Junior Becky Gautreau passed well all match and picked up 3 digs while Emileigh Cenedella stepped into the outside hitter's position to bomb in 6 kills while lipping 12 digs.
 
Rivier College                3        25  25  19  25
Rhode Island College     1        23  17  25  12
 
Rivier College                3        25  25  25
Framingham State         0        14  19  21

September 25, 2008

RAIDERS FALL SHORT TO KSC

Keene N.H.-Keene State defeated Rivier College 3-2 in a highly-contested, non-conference women's volleyball match at Spaulding Gym on Thursday night. The Owls and the Raiders traded wins in the first four games.  KSC won the first and third games 25-18 and 26-24 while Rivier came out on the top 25-20 and 25-22 in games two and four.  Rivier's tough serving (12 aces) kept the Owls offense off balance and allowed the Raider defense to pick up 63 digs in the 5 set match.  Nicole Rodriguez and Emileigh Cenedella served 4 aces apiece while Cenedella also showed great energy in the back row with a team high 21 digs.  Sophomore Brittni Taylor provided a good spark off the bench tallying 4 kills and 8 digs in just 2 sets.  Laura Ciummo directed the offense well with 49 assists and played steady defense with 6 digs and 2 blocks.  Danielle Jacques continues to get stronger on the right side with a team high 15 kills while Nicole Hersey is starting to find her stride with 10 kills on 28 attempts with just 3 errors for a .250 hitting percentage.  Lindsay Chace chipped in on offense with 7 kills and Danielle Stoodley passed well all match and scooped up 5 digs.
 
Rivier College    2            18  25  24  25  7
Keene State     3             25  20  26  22  15

September 22, 2008

PLYMOUTH OUTFIGHTS RIVIER

Nashua, NH – Plymouth State University defeated Rivier College (6-5 overall; 0-0 GNAC) at the Muldoon Health & Fitness Center in Nashua New Hampshire 3-1.  Rivier jumped out to a 1-0 lead but eventually succumbed to PSU in the next 3 sets.  The Raiders defense tallied 79 digs in 4 sets but couldn't put the ball away on offense against an equally impressive Plymouth defense.  Leading the way for Rivier was Danielle Jacques (Derry, NH) who scored her first double double of the season with 11 kills and 10 digs.  The sophomore opposite hitter had only 1 hitting error on 27 attempts for a .370 hitting percentage.  Senior Colleen Van Cura (E. Lyme, CT) scooped up a Raider high 21 digs.  Setter Laura Ciummo (Burrillville, RI) dished out 30 assists while Nicole Rodriguez (Newton, MA) served a Rivier high 5 ace serves.  Freshmen Emileigh Cenedella (Townsend, MA) and Lauren Saccoccio (Warwick, RI) were solid in the back row with 13 and 16 digs respectively

SACCOCCIO NAMED GNAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK

Lauren Saccoccio, a 5'6 outside hitter for Rivier College, has been named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week.  Saccoccio's .344 hitting percentage led the Raiders to a 1-1 week including a victory over Division II Southern New Hampshire University.  The first year player was also steady in the back row averaging 1.25 digs/game to lead the Raiders defense.  In the win over SNHU, Saccoccio was stellar with 10 kills on 16 attempts with no errors for a .625 hitting percentage.  She also chipped in with 6 digs and 2 service aces in the sweep of the Penmen. Saccoccio is the first Raider to be named Rookie of the Week since Nicole Rodriguez was selected for the week of October 25, 2007

September 14, 2008

RAIDERS TAKE DOWN DIVISION II SNHU

2007 GNAC CHAMPIONSHIP BANNER UNVEILED

 
Nashua, NH
Rivier College (6-4 overall; 0-0 GNAC) defeated Southern New Hampshire University to pick up their first win of the season at The Muldoon.  The Raiders dominated the match from beginning to end to pick up their second victory in as many years against the Penmen.  The Raiders offense hit for a stellar .347 average while the defense picked up a steady 12 digs/game in the 3 set match.  Freshman Lauren Saccoccio paced the Raiders with 10 kills, 6 digs, and 2 service aces while sophomore Danielle Jacques played well on the right side with 8 kills (8-2-15-.400%).  Sophomore Nicole Rodriguez laced in 7 kills (7-0-12-.583) and a team high 3 service aces while senior Nicole Hersey and junior Lindsay Chace chipped in with 6 and 2 kills respectively.  Senior Laura Ciummo, last weeks GNAC Player of the Week, directed the offense well with 31 assists while scooping up 5 digs.  RIV's defense was led by Colleen Van Cura who tallied a team high 9 digs.  The senior libero also passed nails all match.  The tandem of junior Becky Gautreau and freshman Danielle Stoodley rounded off the defense with a combined 11 digs. 

Prior to the match Rivier unveiled their 2007 GNAC Championship banner in front of 100 friends, family and alumni.
 
Rivier College    3        SNHU    0        25-14  25-19  25-19

CIUMMO NAMED GNAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Laura Ciummo, a 5'6 senior setter for Rivier College, has been named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Player of the week.  Ciummo's 8.96 assists per game led the Raiders to a 5-3 start including a tournament victory at the Regis College Invitational.  Ciummo started the season with a 34 assist, 5 dig, 3 kill, and 3 ace performance in the championship match of the Pride Invitational against Roger Williams University, leading her team to a .375 hitting percentage and a sweep of the Hawks. Ciummo then wrapped up a stellar week by becoming the first Raider in school history to record over 3000 assists in a career.  The milestone point came during the very first play of set 4 against Roger Williams University at the Hawks Invitational.  To date Ciummo has recorded 3075 assists for her career.
 

September 6, 2008

RAIDERS STUMBLE AT HAWK INVITATIONAL

Ciummo Reaches Major Milestone

Bristol, RI
Senior Laura Ciummo became the first Raider in program history to reach 3,000 assists in a career.  Ciummo, a 5'6 setter from Burrillville Rhode Island, reached the milestone in the Raiders 5 set loss to Roger Williams University by tallying 45 assists while directing the Raider offense.  Rivier (5-3 overall; 0-0 GNAC) struggled throughout the tournament with unforced errors forcing them to go into a sudden death set in 2 out of their 3 matches in the tournament.  Sophomore opposite hitter Danielle Jacques was selected to the All Invitational Team as she paced the Raiders with 35 kills, 19 digs, 4 blocks and 3 service aces.  Senior libero Colleen Van Cura had a team high 59 digs for Rivier while sophomore middle hitter Nicole Rodriguez hit for a consistent .352 tallying 33 kills in the 3 matches.
 
Rivier College  2     Roger Williams University  3        25-18  22-25  20-25  25-21  12-15
Rivier College  2     University of New England  3       23-25  18-25  25-17  25-14  9-15
Rivier College  0     Amherst College   3                    21-25  18-25  18-25
 

August 29-30, 2008

RIVIER OPENS 2008 WITH REGIS TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP

Raiders Defense Prevails
 
Weston, MA
The 2007 GNAC Champions kicked off their 2008 season with a convincing tournament win at The Pride Invitational hosted by Regis College.  The Raiders didn't drop a set all weekend as they steamrolled through all five of their opponents on their way to a second Pride Invitational Championship in three years.  Ball control was the theme of the weekend for Rivier as they out passed and out defended their opponents.  The Blue and White scooped up 267 digs in just 15 sets for an impressive 17.8 digs/game average on the tournament.  Leading the way on defense was senior captain Colleen Van Cura who picked up a team high 73 digs on the weekend and was named to the All Invitational Team.  Freshmen trio Emileigh Cenedella, Lauren Saccoccio, and Danielle Stoodley combined for 109 digs in their debut for the Raiders. 
The Raiders offense would not be denied either as senior setter Laura Ciummo directed Rivier with 111 assists on the weekend leading her to her first Pride Invitational MVP trophy.  Ciummo was especially sharp in the championship match delivering 34 assists and directing RIV to a .375 hitting percentage against the much taller Roger Williams squad.  Sophomore middle hitter Nicole Rodriguez pounded in 29 kills while sophomore opposite hitter Danielle Jacques finished the tournament with 23 kills to lead the offense.
 
Tournament MVP - Laura Ciummo
All Tournament Team - Colleen Van Cura
 
Rivier College 3    St Joseph's College (ME)   0       25-10  25-16  25-10
Rivier College 3    Mount Ida College            0       26-24  25-12  25-17
Rivier College 3    Regis College                   0       25-17  25-18  25-18
Rivier College 3    Worcester State College    0       25-22  25-13  25-16
Rivier College 3    Roger Williams University  0       25-15  25-23  25-16

2008 GNAC PRE-SEASON POLL

1. Rivier College
2. Johnson & Wales University
3. Emerson College
4. Norwich University
5. Emmanuel College
6. Lasell College
7. Mount Ida College
8. Suffolk University

2007 GNAC CHAMPIONS