Sept. 29, 2001

KINGSTON, R.I. - Senior Yolanda Bogacz led the team with 16 kills and sophomore Michelle Fulton led all players in hitting percentage (.435) Saturday as Rhode Island pulled off a 3-1 upset over visiting Xavier, the Atlantic 10 Conference favorite.

Fulton struck for 11 kills with only one error in 23 attempts, helping Rhode Island (6-7, 3-1) rebound from a first-game loss to take the match 27-30, 30-19, 30-28, 32-30 and tie for second place behind defending champion George Washington. The top four teams make the league playoffs.

The Rams pulled out the third and fourth games in dramatic fashion, scoring the final two points in each game to claim their sixth win in seven matches after an 0-6 start. They equalled their win total of last season, when they went 6-20 and endured two 3-0 blowouts at the hands of Xavier (8-2, 2-2), the eventual A-10 runnerup.

It was the second straight 3-1 stunner by the Rams, who knocked Dayton out of a share of first place Friday night and avenged yet another pair of 3-0 losses in 2000.

Xavier junior Jill Hampton led all players with 22 kills and 16 digs. But the Rams allowed just 10 kills to Sue Bachus, the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year last fall, about half her league-leading average.

Freshman Brooke Ecklund led the Rams with 13 digs and Bogacz came up with 12, followed by junior Juliana Valencia with 11 and sophomore Amy Kauppila with 10. Valencia also supplied four aces and 50 assists.

Xavier rallied from a 20-12 deficit to take the first game 30-27, scoring the last four points. But the Rams came back to dominate the second game and trailed only briefly in the third and fourth.

Xavier (8-2) 30 19 28 30 -- 1
Rhode I. (6-7) 27 30 30 32 -- 3