Volleyball Opens Season with 3-2 Loss to Gordon at Springfield Invitational

Springfield, Mass. – The Framingham State University volleyball team opened the 2016 season this evening with a 3-2 loss to Gordon College at the Springfield Invitational.

The Rams fell behind early dropping the first two sets 25-12 and 25-17 before rallying for two straight set wins to tie the match and force a fifth set.  The Rams trailed 19-16 in third before rattling off a 9-4 run to close the frame and secure the 25-23 set win.  In the fourth, Gordon once again jumped out to an early lead, but the Rams closed the gap and used a 13-4 run to take control of the set.

Gordon jumped on top 3-0 in the fifth and never looked back as they secured the victory in the match topping the Rams 15-10 in the final set.

The Rams were led by senior Alycia Rackliffe (Feeding Hills, Mass.) who collected 30 kills on 59 attempts with just nine errors in the match for a .356 hitting percentage.  Junior Sarah Leonard (Southborough, Mass.) chipped in with nine kills and seven digs, while sophomore Mackenzie Whalen (Norton, Mass.) added 44 set assists.

The Rams are back in action tomorrow with a pair of matches at the Springfield Invitational.  The Rams open the day at 11 a.m. when they face the host Pride and close the day against RIT at 3 p.m.