FRANKLIN, Mass. – September 14, 2023 – The Dean College women's volleyball team dropped its home opener to Suffolk, 3-0, inside Pieri Gymnasium Thursday night. Suffolk won by scores of 25-15, 25-18 and 25-16.

Dean (1-7) opens conference action on Saturday with a tri-match hosted by Rivier. The Bulldogs will also play Mitchell. Suffolk (4-5) hosts a tri-match on Saturday against Keene State and Worcester State.

The Bulldogs received five kills and no errors for .500 hitting from junior Emily Ball (Feeding Hills, Mass.). First-year Emma Siniscalchi (Huntington, N.Y.) had 10 assists and an ace. Senior Sari Albury (Nassau, Bahamas) added four aces and a couple of blocks.  

The Rams were led by first-year Sami Shore (Wrentham, Mass.). She had 11 kills on .625 hitting and three blocks. Junior McKenna Keowen (San Ramon, Calif.) finished with eight kills on .368 hitting and a team best 13 digs. Senior libero Morgan Kelsey (Parker, Colo.) chipped in with six aces and 10 digs.

Suffolk hit .292 in the first set and spread out the attack with four players recording at least two kills. Kelsey had four of her six aces in the set to help the Rams to the 25-15 win. Sophomore Caitlin Cooper (Amherst, N.H.) had two kills and two blocks for the Bulldogs.

The Rams erupted for 17 kills in .351 hitting in the second set with five from Shore and four from Keowen. Ball recorded three of the team's five kills in the frame for Dean. Albury had three aces for the Bulldogs.

In the third, the balanced Suffolk attack recorded 10 kills with one error. Junior Janai Price (Providence, R.I.) kept the Bulldogs within striking distance with three kills, but the Rams pulled away late for the 25-16 victory.