Franklin, Mass.- In a back and forth affair that featured five games decided by three points or less, the Dean College Bulldogs were outlasted by Rhode Island College, 3-2 on Thursday night at Pieri Gym. Trailing 10-7 in the final set, the Anchorwomen scored eight of the final ten points to take the game and the match. 

The Bulldogs had previously battled back in the fourth set to tie it, after falling behind two games to one. Dean took control early in the fourth set, racing to a 14-9 lead midway through the frame. After RIC scored five of six points to make it a two-point game, the Bulldogs responded with a run of their own, punctuated by kills from first-year Maddy Seymour (Simsbury, Conn.) and sophomore Chloe Demaio (Medfield, Mass.) to take the fourth set 25-23 and force a final showdown.

The loss drops Dean to 1-4 on the year, while Rhode Island College improves to 4-1. 

The Bulldogs took the opening game, a tightly contested battle that didn't conclude until Dean scored its 26th point on a kill from senior captain Janai Price (Providence, R.I.). RIC rebounded to take the next two sets, 27-25 in another nail-biter, and 25-22 in the third set. 

Dean was led by Seymour's 14 kills. She also added seven digs. Emily Ball (Feeding Hills, Mass.) recorded 11 kills and 11 digs, while Demaio and Caitlin Cooper (Amherst, N.H.) added ten and nine kills respectively. Senior Anabella Driscoll (Plymouth, Mass.) finished with 31 assists while Emma Siniscalchi (Huntington, N.Y.) added 12 of her own. Junior Skylar Raskevitz (Easthampton, Mass.) led all players with 21 digs.

Next up for the Bulldogs is a non-conference tri-match on Saturday at Curry College at 11 am and 1:00 against Curry and The United States Merchant Marine Academy.