SELINSGROVE, PA (September 7, 2022) -- The Susquehanna University volleyball team, ranked No. 19 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 poll, posted a season-high 67 kills while hitting .265 to knock off visiting Franklin & Marshall College in four sets Wednesday evening from O.W. Houts Gymnasium. Scores in the non-conference win for SU were 27-25, 25-20, 23-25 and 25-16. 

The River Hawks (4-0) saw some historic numbers on the evening, as Keira Roach became the first River Hawk player in program history to post a triple double since the stat was kept by the NCAA back in 2015. The Susquehanna setter is one of just 11 players nationally this year to rack up a triple double, as she finished with 10 kills, 44 assists and 16 digs. Not to be outdone, senior Rosina Esposito finished with a match-best 20 kills while adding 20 digs and five aces as well. It was back-to-back double-double performances for Esposito, who now sits with 936 kills going into the weekend. 

Susquehanna led the entire set until a 5-0 run by Franklin & Marshall (2-2) gave the Diplomats a 19-17 lead after a kill from Sydney Levins.F&M led by three at 21-18, but SU rallied back to tie the opening set at 22 on a kill by graduate student Kody Dillon. SU had a set point after a termination by sophomore middle Amanda Gore, but F&M fended it off with a kill by Lauren Arnold. A kill by Esposito and a block by Gore and junior Emily Kowalski would clinch the set win for SU. 

In the second set, Susquehanna hit .282 for the period and used a 7-1 run early in the stanza to lead the entire way en route to a 2-0 set lead. The third set saw momentum swing in favor of the visiting Diplomats, with F&M leading by as many as seven points as late as 20-13. The River Hawks didn't go away, as they rallied all the way back to tied the set at 23 but kills from Levins and Coco Schultz clinched the set win for Franklin & Marshall. In the fourth and deciding set, SU hit a solid .324 while posting 17 kills while F&M's offense went cold as the River Hawks moved to 4-0 on the season. 

In addition to the exploits of Esposito and Roach, four other Susquehanna players finished with eight or more kills on the night. Dillon was efficient and stellar all evening, as she posted 11 kills on 20 swings, hitting .500 was adding two assisted blocks. Gore tallied nine kills on 21 swings, posting three blocks, while Ryan Rorls added nine kills and seven digs. Kowalski finished with eight kills, and senior Lexie Kallogonis chalked up nine digs as well. First-year libero Jessica Sack finished with nine digs and a career-high five assists, while passing beautifully with just one error on 38 service receptions. 

The River Hawks passed well with just three receiving errors all night, adding five total blocks and seven service aces. F&M was paced by the 12 kills from Levins, while Gianna Mangiamele finished with 10 kills as well. Meredith Mangum also added 23 digs in the loss. 

Up Next

• The River Hawks will travel to Haverford College this weekend for three matches, starting Friday night at 5:30 p.m. against the host Fords in non-conference play. SU will also take on SUNY Cortland and Springfield College Saturday afternoon. 

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