Box Score Newark, Del. - (9/11/2015) – Intent on starting off their stay at Wilmington University's Wildcat Regional Invitational with a bang this afternoon, the Chestnut Hill College women's volleyball team closed the first set of its opening match with Franklin Pierce University with a flourish, embarking on an 11-1 run to post a 25-19 decision. Unfortunately, the Ravens retorted with the next three, extending the Griffins' season-opening skid to five matches with a 3-1 verdict (19-25, 25-19, 25-11, 25-20) inside the WU Athletics Complex.
 
Franklin Pierce University (2-3) jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the opening set and continued to keep Chestnut Hill College (0-5) at arm's length for much of the action. But the Griffins found their footing late in the opening frame, when a kill from sophomore middle hitter Melissa Shunk (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) brought them to within 18-15. With freshman setter Kennedy Sutton (Chesapeake, Va.) serving, the scarlet and gold reeled off the next eight points, 23-15. Senior outside hitter Rachel Biro (Nazareth, Pa.) supplied Chestnut Hill College a set point with a kill, 24-19, before a Franklin Pierce University attack error handed the Griffins the set.
 
The Ravens, however, reversed the score line in the following set before taking control in the third, roaring to a 20-5 lead that facilitated a 25-11 victory. Needing to take the fourth set to stay in the match, Chestnut Hill College dug itself a 14-4 hole and, despite pulling as close as 22-19 on a kill by junior outside hitter Madison McBride (Long Beach, Calif.), ultimately ran out of time as Franklin Pierce University sealed the triumph with a 25-20 score.
 
Junior middle hitter Aiden Garcia (Eagle Pass, Texas) was nearly perfect for the Ravens, rolling up 19 kills to just one error for a .581 attack percentage (19K-1E-31TA) and adding four block assists to her ledger. Sophomore middle hitter Hannah St. Jean (Olympia, Wash.) added 10 kills and senior libero Sarah MacHugh (Red Hook, N.Y.) led the defensive effort with 23 digs.
 
Shunk was Chestnut Hill College's most effective attacker, notching six kills against a single error on 12 attempts (.417), but Biro led the Griffins with 14 points on the strength of a team-best 13 kills and two block assists. McBride contributed nine kills and five digs, junior middle hitter Emily Koehler (Bath, Pa.) added 10 kills, and Sutton handed out 36 assists to go with five digs and three aces. Junior libero Regina Trabosh (Norristown, Pa.) held back the Raven offense with a game-high 25 digs.
 
Chestnut Hill College takes a brief respite before returning to the court to face American International College in a 5:00 p.m. contest.