Rockville Centre, N.Y. - The volleyball team opened the 2023 season against Franklin Pierce University, falling 3-1 from Quealy Gymnasium. 

Franklin Pierce 26, Molloy 24
Franklin Pierce 25, Molloy 17
Molloy 25, Franklin Pierce 14
Franklin Pierce 25, Molloy 19

How it Happened

• Molloy started on a 3-0 run on a block and a kill from senior Colleen Moulder and a kill from junior Roberta Monticelli.
• Trailing 6-4, the Ravens put together a five-point run to go in front, 9-6.
• The Lions played from behind until back-to-back kills from Moulder and senior Kiarra Roth helped knot the score at 13.
• The score would be tied seven more times before the final three points of the set went in favor of Franklin Pierce, 26-24.
• The Molloy offense struggled to attack with accuracy in the second set, hitting at a negative clip.
• The tide changed dramatically in the third set with the cardinal and white opening on a 9-0 run. Along the way, Roth tallied five kills and a block.
• Roth would add two more kills and a service ace to increase the lead to 12-3.
• A second lengthy run put Molloy ahead, 20-6, and featured three kills from Moulder and a service ace from freshman Hope Carolan.
• Roth took care of the final three kills of the set with two kills and a second ace.
• Both teams battled back and forth to open the fourth set, but four-straight points in favor of the Ravens set a lead that Molloy was unable to overcome. 

Top Performances

• Roth's career performance was a game-high 17 kills to go with eight digs, six blocks, and two aces. 
• Monticelli made her Molloy debut with 11 kills, six digs, and two aces.
• Moulder attacked at a team-leading .333 clip with nine kills to go with four blocks.
• Senior Chye Davis had five kills and three blocks.
• Defensively, sophomore Aria Miller led with 23 digs to go with seven kills and two aces.
• Carolan and graduate student Mariana Donado Yepes each had nine digs with the latter putting up 41 assists.

Up Next
Molloy will be right back in action tomorrow in a doubleheader against the University of Charleston (12:00 p.m.) and Post University (2:00 p.m.) from Quealy Gymnasium. The Golden Eagles and Eagles will start the day against one another at 10:00 a.m.