DUDLEY, Mass. – Suffolk women's volleyball won the first two sets, but could not hold off a comeback from the Bison as Nichols won the third and fourth sets, to force a fifth, which it won to take the 3-2 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) contest Thursday night at the Nichols Athletic Center. The league setback came by set scores 17-25, 20-25, 25-21, 25-23 and 15-11.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 2 | Nichols 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (5-9, 0-3 CCC) | Nichols (3-5, 1-2 CCC)  

SET ONE RECAP (25-17, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk's early 9-4 edge was trimmed down to two points after the Bison strung three points in a row. 
• A Rams' response came in the form of a 4-0 run to put the visitors in front, 13-7, and force Nichols into a timeout. 
• Out of the huddle, the teams traded points before four unanswered Bison points came that cut Suffolk's lead down to three, 16-13. 
• The blue-and-gold used a 6-3 stretch to go ahead 22-16, which lead to the hosts into their final timeout of the frame. 
• Suffolk managed to put the set away out of the break by scoring three of the next four points.  

SET TWO RECAP (25-20, SUFFOLK)

• After the score tied five times Suffolk gained an 8-5 margin with three points on kills from Emily Wheeler and Jasmine James sandwiched around an ace by Kenzley Bell. 
• The Bison chipped away at the deficit and kept things within one-possession, 12-11.
• McKenna Keowen's kill jump started a 7-0 Suffolk scoring spurt that gave the blue-and-gold a 19-12 cushion. 
• Nichols responded with 7-2 run of its own to pull back within two, 21-19. 
• A kill by Wheeler ended the Rams' draught and Morgan Kelsey served back-to-back aces give the Rams set point, 24-19. 
• Kelsey's third serve was into the net to keep the Bison alive, however Julia Leavey retaliated with a kill to seal the set.   

SET THREE RECAP (25-21, NICHOLS)

• Bison tallied the first four points of the frame and that lead grew into a 7-3. 
• Suffolk made a comeback and leveled the playing field at 10-all. 
• The set continued its see-saw affair from there with four tied scores and the swap of the lead twice.
• At 16-16, Nichols put together a 5-1 run to take a 21-17 advantage. 
• That distance proved too much ground for the Rams to make up as the team's swapped points the rest of the way. 

SET FOUR RECAP (25-23, NICHOLS)

• Another back-and-forth battle ensued in the fourth frame. 
• Suffolk clung to a 15-11 margin at the midway point. 
• That control blossomed to 18-13 before the Bison battled back. 
• Nichols outscored Suffolk, 6-2, to keep things interesting, 20-19. 
• A Rams' timeout did not put the break on the Bison as the hosts stormed ahead to force a fifth set.  

SET FIVE RECAP (15-11, NICHOLS)

• Suffolk went up 6-4. 
• Nichols climbed up front, 7-6, and pushed the gap to 11-6. 
• The teams went point-for-point from there which eliminated a comeback from Suffolk. 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Leavey led the attack with 12 kills. She added three digs and one block. 
• Keowen provided 10 kills, two digs, and two blocks. 
• James and Wheeler each registered eight kill efforts. 
• Harmony Johnson and Jayla Martinez dished out 26 assists and 17 assists, respectively. 
• Bell logged 23 digs to pace the defensive effort.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk and Nichols met in an official match for the first time. 
• The Rams fell in five sets for the first time in the Scott Blanchard era.  

POST-MATCH PIC
  

COMING UP
Suffolk has four days off before hosting Wentworth at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Tuesday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m.