Justin Barish reaches the ball to set up his teammates as Rivier blanked Emerson Thursday night at the Muldoon Center. (Courtesy photo by Nick Grace/Rivier Athletics)

NASHUA – The Rivier men’s volleyball team defeated Emerson in three straight sets, (25,15, 25-12,25-17) on Thursday evening in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play.

With the result, the Raiders improved to 11-10 (3-1 GNAC), while the Lions dropped to 3-10 (0-3 GNAC).

HOW IT HAPPENED

In set one, the teams traded points early and were tied at 9-9 before the Raiders took control and never looked back.

Back-to-back kills from seniors Bassam Awde and Matthew McCloskey sparked a 9-3 run. Sophomore James Levesque followed with a kill and an ace before a kill from junior Tyler Dickinson forced the Lions into a timeout, 16-12.

Following the timeout, Rivier closed out the set on a 9-3 run. Junior Kody Sodoyer controlled the service line, while Dickinson powered the surge with four kills, and first-year Everett Boyer added two of his own to take the set 25-15.

The second set mirrored the first, with both sides trading points to a 5-5 tie before the Raiders found rhythm on a kill by Dickinson.

First-year Shawn LaDuke recorded an ace and a pair of assists on kills by Awde, capped by a block from the senior duo of McCloskey and Awde to give the Raiders a 10-7 lead and force an Emerson timeout.

The Raiders came out of the timeout with a 4-2 before the Lions called another to regroup.

Rivier maintained momentum with a 12-3 run fueled by kills from junior Aiden Combs, service aces from Levesque and junior Justin Barish, ending with a big block by Sodoyer and first-year Theodore Addesa, 25-12.

In the third set, the Raiders jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, powered by three straight service aces from McCloskey, taking an 8-4 advantage.

Emerson stayed within striking distance, but Rivier capitalized on attack errors to pull ahead, reaching 19-8.

The Lions remained competitive, but kills from Addesa, Sodoyer, Combs, and first-year Kaden Layne closed out the set, securing the sweep with a 25-17 finish.

BOX SCORE BREAKDOWN

Dickinson led the offense with nine kills, hitting .727, and added three blocks…McCloskey contributed five kills at a .364 clip and a team-high four service aces….Combs added four kills hitting at a .500 clip…Barish totaled a game high 22 assists…Boyer, Levesque, and Combs all picked up a team high four digs.

UP NEXT

The Raiders return for more GNAC action on Tuesday, March 24, hosting Lasell at the Muldoon Center. First serve is set for 7 p.m., with a senior celebration taking place before the match