Volleyball Comes Back, Downs Fisher in Five

BOSTON – Down 2-0, Suffolk volleyball stormed back, tied things up at 2-all and took the fifth and deciding set easily to defeat Fisher, 3-2, Wednesday night at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court. The comeback win came via set scores 17-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-18 and 15-3.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Fisher 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (6-2) | Fisher (6-3)  

SET ONE RECAP (25-17, FISHER)

• Out of a 9-all tie, Fisher scored back-to-back to take the lead and force Suffolk into its first timeout of the set. 
• The Falcons flew in front by six behind a 5-1 run that put the Rams in a 20-14 hole and Scott Blanchard used his second timeout of the frame. 
• The teams traded points out of the huddle, however, Suffolk could not string a rally together to come back as Fisher put up three points in a row to seal the set, 25-17. 

SET TWO RECAP (25-19, FISHER

• Suffolk fell behind as many as nine, 17-8. 
• The Rams played catch-up and pulled back within three, 22-19, on Chloe Clement's seventh kill of the night.
• Déjà vu came into play as the visitors scored three consecutive points just like the first frame and put the second stanza away.  

SET THREE RECAP (25-21, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk gained a 10-4 lead to get the set going. 
• Fisher clawed back behind a 9-3 run to level the playing field at 13. 
• The Rams scored six unanswered to go up, 19-13. 
• The Falcons kept things interesting and came back within two, twice, the last at 22-20. 
• Suffolk stayed calm, scored three of the final four to get on the board.  

SET FOUR RECAP (25-18, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk broke an even 6-6 outing and built an 11-7 cushion that forced Fisher into a timeout. 
• Slowly the Rams advantaged blossomed into 18-9 thanks in large part to the serving of Morgan Kelsey. The sophomore served three aces to push the Falcons into their second timeout of the set. 
• For every comeback the Falcons attempted Suffolk responded and locked up the set, 25-18. 

SET FIVE RECAP (15-3, SUFFOLK)

• Momentum was on Suffolk's side from the get-go as the host leaped in front, 7-2. 
• Fisher managed to score out of its first timeout, but the Rams limited the visitors to just that lone point the rest of the way as the host rattled off eight points in a row to seal the victory. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Three different Rams produced double-digit kills in McKenna Keowen (16), Grace Cervenka (12) and Clement (10). 
• A quartet of Suffolk student-athletes provided double-digit dig efforts led by Tatum Kalt's 22. Kenzley Bell(20), Kelsey (13) and Jayla Martinez (10) were in the defensive conversation as well. 
• Kelsey supplied eight aces from the service line complimented by three from Kalt. 
• At the next, Cervernka led the way with seven blocks. Emily Wheeler, Jasmine James, Alina Nowakowskiand Keowen added two blocks apiece. 

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Fisher met for the first time. 
• Suffolk went beyond three sets for the first time this season. 
• The Rams went into five sets for the first times since Oct. 30, 2021, at Salve Regina.
• The blue-and-gold won a five-set match for the first time since taking down the University of New England Oct. 19, 2021. 
• Suffolk has gone into five sets under Blanchard's guidance 15 times since 2018. 
• The Rams are 12-3 in five-set thrillers with Blanchard on the sidelines. 
• Suffolk is unbeaten, 4-0, in 3-2 decisions in the Blanchard era at Smith Court. 
• Wheeler tied a personal-best two blocks. 
• Cervenka wrote a new career-high in digs (6) and blocks (7). 
• Kelsey served a personal-best eight aces. 
• Kalt registered a career-high 22 digs. 
• Clement contributed double-digit kills for the first time in her career with a personal-high 10. She matched a career-best four digs as well.  

POST-MATCH PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk hits the road Saturday, Sept. 17 for a tri-match at Southern Maine with Castleton. The Rams will take on the Spartans at 2 p.m. before battling the Huskies at 4 p.m.