Franklin Pierce outlasts Southern New Hampshire, 3-2
Ravens win the first two games and then hold off the Penmen in the fifth game

MANCHESTER, N.H. (September 19, 2007) – Junior co-captain Nicole Buchholz (Ashburn, Va./Stone Bridge) recorded a team-high 12 kills as the Franklin Pierce University volleyball team won the first two games and then held off a furious Southern New Hampshire comeback in a 3-2 (30-27, 30-25, 27-30, 17-30, 15-10) victory in a Northeast-10 Conference match at the SNHU Fieldhouse on Wednesday night.

Without the services of leading attacker Caitlynn Parnell (Medina, Texas/Medina) and libero Chelsie Kohout (Harrison Township, Mich./L’Anse Creuse), the Ravens received support from many players. Junior co-captain Karissa Hookstadt (Camarillo, Calif./Camarillo) nearly missed a triple-double with 21 assists, 10 digs and eight kills, while freshman Diana Rutt (Dayton, Nev./Dayton) took full advantage of her increased playing time with a career-high eight kills and nine digs.

Sophomore Lindsay Burrill (Salem, N.H./Salem) and junior Emily Schultz (Salem, Wis./Westosha Central) both posted career highs in digs in Kohout’s absence, as Burrill led the Ravens with 23 digs and Schultz tied her career-best mark with 22.

Southern New Hampshire was led by Stephanie Dluginski (Floral Park, N.Y./Floral Park) and Brooke LeFort (Cumberland, R.I./Cumberland), who tied for the game high with 15 kills apiece.

Franklin Pierce played well in the opening two games, jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead behind 30-27 and 30-25 game wins. After the Penmen stormed back to take the match into a fifth game, the Ravens buckled down and grinded out a 15-10 win that earned the victory.

Franklin Pierce (7-8, 3-1 NE-10) will step out of conference play for three matches this weekend, beginning with a home match against Queens College set for Friday at 7 p.m. at the Fieldhouse. Southern New Hampshire (5-5, 1-2 NE-10) is idle until Tuesday, when the Penmen take on Bryant.

Franklin Pierce def. So. New Hampshire 30-27, 30-25, 27-30, 17-30, 15-10

Franklin Pierce (6-8, 2-1 NE-10) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Nicole Buchholz 12-0-1; Michelle Koike 8-0-3; Karissa

Hookstadt 8-1-1; Diana Rutt 8-0-1; Katie Ristow 5-0-1; Emily Schultz 3-0-1; Lindsay Burrill 1-0-0; Totals 45-1-5.0.

(Assists) - Karissa Hookstadt 21. (Dig leaders) - Lindsay Burrill 23; Emily Schultz 22; Katie Ristow 16; Karissa

Hookstadt 10; Diana Rutt 9

So. New Hampshire (5-4, 1-1 NE-10) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Stephanie Dluginski 15-1-4; Brooke Lefort 15-0-2; Jamie

Rood 11-1-1; Casey Stoodley 8-1-0; Kim Rowe 6-0-3; Allison Murphy 4-2-0; Kelly Scanlon 3-1-0; Brianna Doucet 2-1

0; Nicky Dumond 1-0-0; Totals 65-7-7.0. (Assists) - Kelly Scanlon 23; Nicky Dumond 17. (Dig leaders) – Brianna

Doucet 32; Jamie Rood 20; Casey Stoodley 14; Kelly Scanlon 12

GAME STATISTICS