Sept. 13, 2002

Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. - The Rhode Island volleyball team held leads late into two of the three games, but behind the play of All-Big 12 Conference outside hitter Stevie Nicholas, Baylor defeated the Rams 3-0 (30-25, 31-29, 31-29) Friday in the University of Rhode Island Classic.

Nicholas finished with a match-high 17 kills and 10 blocks, hitting .333 for the match. With Baylor (4-3) trailing 28-27 in the third game, Nicholas came up with an ace and three kills, including the final two of the match to lead the Bears to a sweep. Tisha Schwartz added 14 kills for the Bears.

Rhode Island sophomore Kaleena Miller (Mahopac, N.Y.) led the Rams with 15 kills and seven digs. Junior setter Julia Schlecht (Sundern, Germany) had 36 assists and six digs.

Sophomore Michelle Fulton (Dana Point, Calif.) added eight kills and four digs. Sophomore Brooke Ecklund (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) and sophomore Abby Thornbladh (Ann Arbor, Mich.) each had seven kills. Senior libero Juliana Valencia (Columbia, South America) added six digs.

After losing 30-25 in the opening game, Rhode Island jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the second game and led 16-8 on a kill from Fulton. A Kaleena Miller kill gave the Rams a 17-10 lead, but Baylor inched back to 21-19. Another Miller kill gave Rhode Island a 25-22 lead and a kill from Fulton put the Rams up 28-25. Baylor pulled ahead 29-28 and Fulton registered a kill to tie the game, but the Nicholas and Schwartz answered with back-to-back kills to close the game.

The Rams (1-6) again jumped out to a lead in the third game, leading 13-7 and 17-12. Kills by freshman Bonnie Joralmon (Glendale, Ariz.) and Thornbladh gave the Rams a 24-17 advantage, but once again the Bears crept back in. The Rams took a 26-22 lead on a kill by Ecklund and then went up 28-25 on a kill from Fulton, but Nicholas brought the Bears back to win the match.

In the first match of the University of Rhode Island Classic, Erin Cartwright had 17 kills and Zuzana Cernianska had 15 to lead Utah State (4-3) over Northeastern 3-0 (30-22, 30-21, 30-25). Cartwright added five digs and Cernianska had seven for the Aggies. Tereza Cernianska (seven digs) and Ingrid Roth each had nine kills. Andrea Delsigne had 43 assists and seven digs.

Lindsay Wagner (seven digs) and Erin Spangler led Northeastern (3-4) with 9 kills apiece. Larissa Adomat had eight kills and Kristin Ursillo had 30 assists.