SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Sarah Bartels racked up 10 kills while attacking at a .348 clip while the Keene State College women's volleyball team racked up 14 aces as a team – all over the final three sets – as the Owls rebounded from an opening set loss to mostly roll to a 3-1 victory over Rivier University in the season-opener for both teams at the Dearing Classic hosted by Springfield College at Blake Arena Friday night.

KSC made 12 attacking errors and had just six kills in a 10-point first set loss but rebounded with a 25-12 victory in the second set as they scored the final eight points.

Five different Owls recorded aces in a tight 25-23 victory in the third as KSC used their serving to gain an early lead and eventually held off the Raiders after they twice tied the frame late.  Leading 2-1, the Owls then dominated the fourth, racing out to a 12-4 lead while never trailing.  KSC's offense shredded the Raiders, compiling 17 kills to just four errors for a .371 attacking clip.  Bartels and sophomore Marina Miller combined for 11 spikes on 21 attempts in the frame and made just two errors.

Bartels narrowly missed a double-double in the season opener, adding eight digs to her 10 kills.  Gigi Stake completed one of her own, adding 12 kills (.077 pct.) and 10 digs.  Miller finished with 10 kills, eight digs, and five aces, while Alexis Small had 20 assists, seven digs, and three aces.  Delia Ryan finished with a team-best 14 digs while Ava Harkins had 10 assists, seven digs, two aces, and a kill in her collegiate debut.

Overall, five different Owls recorded an ace including five with multiple.  Ryan had three, and KSC had a 14-5 edge in that category overall.

After losing by 10 in an opening frame that saw both teams attack at a sub-zero percentage, the Owls quickly woke up, never trailing in the final two sets.  In fact, their only two deficits after dropping the first were 1-0 and 2-1 in the second.  A 5-0 run put KSC in front 6-2, and three kills in a four-point span by Bartels and Stake before an ace by Harkins accounted for five more points in a row to make it 14-6.  The Owls rolled from there to even the match at a set apiece.

The third seemed to be heading in a similar direction as KSC rolled out to a 10-5 advantage and still led 18-14 on an ace by Small.  However, Rivier threatened to steal the match lead back by scoring four in a row before also forging a 20-20 tie on a spike by Lily Seibel.  First year Katie Taylor answered with a kill of her own to give KSC their lead back before Ryan served up an ace and Colleen Fraser and Annaliese Rudberg blocked Sam Driend to make it 23-20.  Rivier made it interesting by scoring two when up against set point to make it 24-23, but Harkins set up Stake to give the Owls the lead in a pivotal swing set – momentum they would carry through to the fourth set as they recorded two aces in the first five points before Miller and Bartels helped take KSC home to the finish line to begin 2025.

"We came out a little tense and nervous in set one before settling in and we kept getting better as the match went on," said Owls head coach Jake Girard, entering his second season.  "We have put a focus on serving aggressively and I believe that helped us win the match today.  Awesome passing by Gigi, Delia, and Marina allowed our setters Lexi and Ava to have a well-balanced offense."

The Owls have won two of three against the Raiders after losing the previous four.  Their last win in less than five sets against the Raiders came in a 3-1 decision at Spaulding Gymnasium in September of 2021.  The two teams have split 34 all-time meetings.

The Dearing Classic continues Saturday with a pair of matches as KSC takes on Westfield State University at 10:30 a.m. and Skidmore College at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at Springfield College's Dana Gymnasium.  The games can be followed via live stats only.  The Owls' home opener is Tuesday against Bridgewater State University at 6:00 p.m.