Tyler Dickinson, shown earlier in the season, and Rivier could not get past Wentworth Wednesday night in their conference opener in Boston. (Photo courtesy of Rivier Athletics)

BOSTON, Mass. – The Rivier men’s volleyball team fell 3-0 in its Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener against No. 12 Wentworth Wednesday evening at the Tansey Gymnasium.

With the loss, the Raiders dropped to 6-8 (0-1 GNAC), while the Leopards improved to 9-2 (2-0 GNAC).

HOW IT HAPPENED

Wentworth opened the match with a service ace from before Rivier answered with kill from first-year Kenji Clark to even the score at 1-1. The teams traded points throughout the early portion of the set, with ties at 6-6 and 7-7 as Clark continued to find the floor.

After falling behind 19-13, the Raiders chipped away behind a Clark service ace and a combined block from junior Tyler Dickinson and senior Bassam Awde. A Clark kill tied the set at 23-23 late, but Wentworth responded with a kill from Benjamin Moughon and closed the 25-23 win on a service ace by Temer Argynbay.

Dickinson recorded a kill early to pull Rivier even at 1-1, and back-to-back blocks from sophomore Cade Barron and senior Matthew McCloskey helped level the score at 5-5. The set remained close through a 10-10 tie following a Barron kill.

The Leopards created separation by finding the floor and steady service line play to make it 18-12. Rivier received late kills from Dickinson, McCloskey, and sophomore Cody Fitzpatrick, but Wentworth secured the 25-19 set victory on a kill.

After an early pair of errors by the Leopards, the Raiders took a 2-1 lead. Both teams battled through several ties, including 4-4 and 5-5. Consecutive service aces from Clark gave Rivier an 11-10 edge, and a Barron kill later tied the set at 12-12. Wentworth answered with a service ace and extended the lead with of a kill from Luke McQuaid. Rivier narrowed the margin to 22-19 however, the Leopards sealed the match, 25-20, with a kill and a service ace.

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN

Dickinson, Barron, and Clark each recorded six kills, with Dickinson and Barron hitting at a .545 clip…Barron added a team-best 17 assists in the contest…Defensively, junior Joseph Cruz led the way with five digs and McCloskey added three block assists.

UP NEXT

The Raiders return to the court tonight for a non-conference match versus Wheaton (Mass.). The opening serve is scheduled for 7 at the Emerson Gymnasium.