Volleyball Takes Five-Set Thriller at Colby

WATERVILLE, Maine – Suffolk volleyball started its first tri-match of the year on a high night, with a five-set triumph over Colby Saturday afternoon at Wadsworth Gymnasium.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Colby 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (2-2) | Colby (0-1)  

SET ONE RECAP (25-11, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk jumped ahead to a 5-0 edge that blessed into a 13-4 advantage. 
• After see-saw action, a four-point rally from the Rams stretched the visitors lead to 20-7. 
• The teams traded points the rest of the set before a Sarah Mullahy kill locked up the stanza, 25-11.  

SET TWO RECAP (25-23, COLBY

• The Rams led 4-1 early on with the lead growing to 10-6. 
• The Mules strung together four straight points to equalize the set at 10-all. 
• Colby's run ended on its own attack error, but back-to-back points from the hosts gave the Mules the advantage 12-11. 
• A tightly contested frame continued with six lead exchanges and nine ties. 
• The back-and-forth nature ended in the Mules' favor, who closed out the set on a 4-0 stretch.  

SET THREE RECAP (25-22, SUFFOLK)

• Colby charged ahead to a 9-6 cushion. 
• Suffolk pulled back and locked the score at 9-9 on a kill from Mullahy. 
• The Mules went ahead again, this time 13-11, but another couple Suffolk points equalized things at 13-11. 
• The score would tie twice more, at 14 and again at 15, before the Rams rattled off three straight points to go in front, 18-15. 
• The blue-and-gold did not look back from there as it went on to seal the set on a Stephanie Rheaume kill.  

SET FOUR RECAP (25-22, COLBY)

• Colby scored five straight points to start things off. 
• The Rams attempted to catch up, but found themselves down 18-11. 
• A late five-point rally from Suffolk made it a two-point stanza, 18-16. 
• The Mules would ended up holding off Suffolk's comeback to take the set, 25-22, and force a fifth frame.  

SET FIVE RECAP (15-17, SUFFOLK)

• It was all Suffolk who bounced out to a 6-2 lead. 
• The Rams then built a 13-5 advantage to easily cruise to the 15-7 set and match victory. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Three different Rams produced double-double efforts in Kayla Barbera, Hannah Fabiano and Harmony Johnson. 
• Fabiano anchored Suffolk's 54- kill effort with 19 of her own to go along with 16 digs and three blocks. 
• Barbera produced a 19-dig, 10-kill effort. 
• Mullahy contributed 12 kills on a .632 connection rate with three blocks and a pair of aces. 
• Johnson had a standout day setting up Suffolk with 39 assists, four kills, 15 digs and one block. 
• Kenzley Bell pitched in 26 digs to the defensive unit. Offensively, the Rams' rookie chipped in eight assists, one ace and one kill.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk defeated Colby for the first-time in the all-time series, which dates back to 2004. 
• Bell produced career high numbers in digs (26), assists (8) and kills (1). 
• Johnson registered career bests in handouts (39), digs (15), kills (4) and blocks (1) and recorded her first collegiate double-double. 
• Mullahy had career-highs in kills (12) and attack percentage (.632). 
• Barbera's 19-dig effort marked a career-best for the junior, who notched the sixth double-double of her career, first since Oct. 20, 2018. 
• Fabiano matched a career-high 19-kill effort and contributed her ninth career double-double, first since Sept. 15, 2018.  

POST-MATCH PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk wraps up action in Vacation Land this afternoon against the Vikings with an anticipated first serve set for 1 p.m.