THE BASICS 

Score: Emerson 3, Rivier 1

Records: Emerson Lions (6-3, 1-1 NEWMAC) ; Rivier Raiders (2-4) 

Location: Nashua, N.H. (Muldoon Gymnasium)

Date: September 21, 2021

The Lead: Junior Logan Steenbergen paced the Emerson women's volleyball team with a match-high 14 kills in the Lions 3-1 win up at Rivier on Tuesday night at Muldoon Gymnasium in non-conference women's volleyball action. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

EMERSON

Steenbergen: 14 kills, three kills and three aces
Rachel Scott: 31 assists 
Caroline Davis: 14 digs

RIVIER

Lily Sills: 13 kills & seven blocks
Avery Pollard: 27 assists
Leah Giampietro: four aces
Sofia Pawlusik: 15 digs

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Emerson found themselves quickly down by five to start of the first frame (8-3), but were able to storm back and answer with a 5-0 spurt to lock the game at 9-all on an ace by Steenbergen. 
• Another short run of the next four of five pushed Emerson ahead by two (14-12) before an 8-0 run by Rivier put the six-point lead back in the Raiders' favor (20-14). 
• Down six, the visitors were not out of the set yet and fired off an 8-1 that put the game at 22-all. Rivier tacked on one more point on a Lions attack error, but it was Emerson who used kills from senior Carolyn Vaimoso and freshmen Parker Cummings to earn the 25-23 comeback. 
• In the second set, Rivier once again jumped out with a five-point edge over Emerson and soon bumped their lead to eight (13-5) on a 4-0 streak that were capped off with a pair of aces. 
• A 6-1 run by Emerson bumped the visitors within three at 14-11, for three was the closest they would come to Rivier in the set. With the score at 17-13 on a Steenbergen swing, the Raiders put together four straight points to extend their lead to eight (21-13). 
• Emerson closed the gap to six to wrap the second frame on a kill by junior Jillian Kay, yet surrendered the 25-17 setback with the match squared at 1-all. 
• Three ties occurred in the opening of the third set, the last coming at 6-all before Emerson took started to separate themselves with a four-point lead (12-8) after Cummings sent down the 12th point. 
• The Lions' lead disappeared as the Raiders evened the set at 14-all, yet Emerson once again broke away with a quick 4-0 run capped by a Vaimoso swing (18-14). The Lions built off their four point lead and closed the third set with seven points as a kill from Steenbergen sealed the 25-18 win. 
• After taking the third set, Emerson stormed out to an 8-1 lead to start off the fourth set and ballooned it to seven (12-5) only to see Rivier close in within three with a 5-1 spurt of their own (13-10). 
• Midway through the fourth, Emerson carried a lead of at least four and were able to balloon their advantage up to seven behind a pair of Vaimoso kills and one from Steenbergen (22-15). 
• Rivier were not going quietly and registered three of the next four points to keep within four, yet Steenbergen iced the 3-1 victory with her 14th kill of the match. 

UP NEXT 

• Emerson heads back home to Boston for a NEWMAC matchup with Springfield on Saturday, September 25th with the first serve set for 1 p.m.