Tyler Dickinson (13) had a good defensive effort to help Rivier men's volleyball earn a split in a tri-match on Saturday.(Courtesy photo by Kyle Prudhomme/Rivier Athletics)

MILTON, Mass. – The Rivier men’s volleyball team defeated Adrian, 3-1, before falling to Curry in straight sets, Saturday afternoon in a non-conference tri-match at the Dr. Eleanor Meyerhoff Katz Gymnasium.

With the split, the Raiders hold a record of 2-3, while the Bulldogs fell to 0-3 and the Colonels improved to 2-1.

Rivier 3, Adrain 1 (25-14, 23-25,25-19, 25-19)

HOW IT HAPPENED

The opening set featured back-and-forth action until the Raiders pieced together several rallies, sealed by a kill from junior Cody Fitzpatrick to grab a 12-6 lead. Rivier held control of the rest of the set, closing on a five-point run to take a 1-0 advantage.

The second set followed a similar action, with Rivier building an 18-14 lead behind kills from first-year Everett Boyer and Fitzpatrick, along with an ace from Cade Barron. The Bulldogs answered with an 11-5 run to even the match at 1-1.

The third set was a tightly contested battle featuring 24 lead changes.

Key blocks down the stretch by junior Tyler Dickinson, Matthew McCloskey, and Boyer sealed a 25-19 win and gave Rivier a 2-1 lead.

Trailing 12-10 in the fourth set, the Raiders erupted for a 9-0 run, highlighted by a pair of kills from Barron and McCloskey, along with a service ace from Fitzpatrick, to take a commanding 19-12 advantage.

Adrain attempted to rally, but Barron delivered the final kill to secure the 25-19 set win and take the match.

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN

Dickinson and Boyer each had a team-high 12 points, with a combined 19 kills.

McCloskey was efficient at the net with seven kills with a .600 hitting percentage and six total blocks.

Junior Justin Barish dished out a team-high 21 assists.

Curry 3, Rivier 0 (25-22, 25-19, 30-28)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Rivier opened the match exchanging points with Curry, using early kills from Cade Barron, Tyler Dickinson, and Cody Fitzpatrick to stay even through a stretch that featured 10 ties and nine lead changes.

A transition kill from Barron off a feed from Everett Boyer gave the Raiders a 10-9 lead.The Colonels charged ahead 17-12 behind a 6-0 rally just past the midway point of the opening frame.

Despite the push from Rivier which included two consecutive kills from Dickinson and an ace from Boyer, Curry scored the final two points of the opener to take a 1-0 match lead, 25-22.

The Raiders battled back early in the second, with Dickinson powering three kills in a short span to cut the deficit to 9-7. Both teams continued to battle at the halfway mark of the second set with Matthew McCloskey delivering a service ace at 15-13.

Rivier continued matching points late behind two more kills from Dickinson, but a small scoring run from the hosts closed out the set, 25-19.

The Raiders responded with its strongest volleyball of the day in the third, hitting .444 and finding rhythm behind first-year Kenji Clark, who hammered seven kills on .636 hitting in the frame.

McCloskey added four kills on .800 hitting, and Boyer put down two more to help Rivier maintain control through the middle portion of the set.

First-year Kayden Layne entered and immediately changed the energy, ripping a kill to close the gap before delivering back-to-back aces that tied the match at 21-21.

Layne added another kill moments later, and late swings from Boyer, McCloskey Clark, and Dickinson forced ties at 24-24, 25-25, 26-26, and 28-28 as Rivier continued to match the Colonels point for point.

Curry put together three straight points after the Raiders took a 28-27 lead to close out the match, 30-28.

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN

Dickinson led the way with 11 kills with a .381 hitting percentage and a solo block. Clark followed close behind with eight kills and a .313 hitting percentage, while Boyer contributed six kills with a team-high .400 clip.

Justin Barish and Barron each recorded double-digit assists, 15 and 11 respectively, and First-year Luis Cruz recorded a game-high 11 digs.

UP NEXT

The Raiders return to the court Wednesday for a road non-conference matchup with Nichols. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Nichols Athletic Center.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

RIVIER 76, LASELL 66

The Raiders got a GNAC win on the back of a 14-4 run late Saturday afternoon at the Muldoon Center.

With the win, the Raiders improved to 9-7 (1-2 GNAC), while the Lasers fell to 6-10 (1-2 GNAC). They were paced by 30 points by Izaiah Shaw-Glen.

Rivier got out to a quick 3-0 lead following a three from sophomore Steph Barnes just out of the opening tip. Lasell countered with a 6-0 run that was eventually put to rest after sophomore Matt Youngquist drained a three to tie the game up 6-6 at the 16:50 mark.

Both teams traded baskets following the deadlock, but the Lasers started to pull ahead after a three pointer gave them a five-point edge.

Senior Robenson Baguidy cashed in on a three of his own at 12:47 to bring the Raiders within one, followed by classmate Shaw-Glen finishing a layup to take a 17-16 lead.

Lasell began to pull away once more, but interior scoring from Shaw-Glen and senior Jamari Williams kept Rivier within that one-point margin.

The contest saw three tied scores in the final 6:15 of the opening frame, with both teams knotted up at 31 with 3:22 to play in the half.

First-year Daylen Dalcour flipped a switch down the stretch, scoring all six points in the final three minutes to give the Raiders a 35-34 lead heading into the break. Coming out of halftime, both teams traded baskets to keep the score level at 41 at 16:48.

Shaw-Glen took over leading up to the halfway point of the second half, scoring nine of Rivier’s 12 points over a seven-minute span. Junior Theo Briscoe IV hit a three with 9:32 remaining to cap off a 12-6 run giving the Raiders a 53-49 advantage.

Lasell began to chip away at Rivier’s lead, surging for an 11-0 run to tie the game up at 62. The Raiders ended the Lasers’ surge in the final 2:21 of the game, finishing the contest on a 14-4 run to seal the victory.

Shaw-Glen paced the offense with 30 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. Youngquist added 13 points on 56% shooting.

Dalcour contributed 11 points and 13 rebounds.

The Raiders return to the court Tuesday, Jan 20. for their Raider Game against GNAC opponents Norwich. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

LASELL 57, RIVIER 47

The Rivier women’s basketball team saw its two-game win streak end with a GNAC loss at the Muldoon Center. With the loss, the Raiders fell to 2-14 (2-1 GNAC), while the Lasers improved to 13-3 (2-1 GNAC)

Lasell opened the contest on an 8-0 run that was interrupted by a three from junior Erika Fantauzzi to give the Rivier its first points of the contest.

Both teams played it close in the final four minutes of play, with the Lasers outscoring the Raiders 9-6 to hold a 17-6 lead after one.

Lasell opened the second quarter hitting a jumper however, Rivier answered with a 9-2 run fueled by first-year Madi Ricker with five points over the stretch. Both squads once again traded scores after the midway point of the second quarter, however this it was Rivier who held the advantage in the final five minutes.

Sophomore Sydney Perry lead the charge with four points in at the end of the half to bring the Raiders withing five, 26-21, heading into halftime.

The Lasers kicked off the second half with a three and built a nine-point lead at the 5:39 mark. Junior Haley Phillips knocked down a three to fuel a 10-6 run for Rivier with 3:39 to go the third.

In the midst of the Raiders’ run, graduate student Juju Nealy recorded a three of her own to cut the deficit to five once again, 36-31.

Lasell made a free throw with 24 seconds remaining to take a 40-35 lead.

Sophomore Gianna Donato began the fourth quarter with a three, making the contest a one possession game.

After the opening three, both teams played a scoreless 3:21 stretch, that ended with a three-pointer for the Lasers.Fantauzzi scored two free throws to break the scoreless streak and bring Rivier within four points once more.

Lasell built a nine-point lead with 2:48 to go in the contest, but a three from Donato put the Lasers late rally to a brief halt.

Lasell closed the game out at the free throw, securing the 57-47 victory.

Donato led the offense with 11 points, followed by Ricker with 10 points.

Perry dominated the glass, recording eight rebounds, six of which were offensive.

The Raiders return to action Tuesday for a GNAC matchup with Norwich. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m.