RINDGE, N.H. (Oct. 4, 2014) - Sophomore middle hitter Analise Austin (Honolulu, Hawaii) posted a double-double Saturday with 14 digs and 11 kills, but it wasn't enough, as the LIU Post volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to Franklin Pierce at the Fieldhouse in Rindge.

The contest was a re-match of last year's NCAA Division II East Region Quarterfinal in Bridgeport, Conn. The Pioneers (8-9) swept the Ravens (9-6) in that contest by a 3-0 final.

Leading 8-6 early in the opening set, Franklin Pierce reeled off a 7-2 run to grab a 15-8 advantage , forcing an LIU Post timeout. The hosts capitalized on three attack errors, while Hannah Runge (Deltona, Fla.) and Hannah St. Jean (Olympia, Wash.) went up for a block on Melissa Hansen (Colorado Springs, Colo.) to cap off the spurt.

The Ravens pulled away from there, en route to the 25-19 win. The Pioneers only closed the gap to as few as five points the rest of the way.

The next two games would feature a combined 26 tied scores and 14 lead changes. In a back-and-forth second set where neither team held more than a four-point edge, Franklin Pierce had set point at 24-22. But, juniors Heather Adams (Centerville, Ohio) and Monica Amador (Cedar Park, Texas) evened the score for LIU Post with back-to-back kills, and extended the game. 

Out of a subsequent break in the action, however, the Ravens scored consecutive points to win the second set, 26-24. Runge assisted on the first point, and followed with a game-clinching kill to give FPU a 2-0 match cushion.

The third set showcased more of the same from the previous one. This time though, the Pioneers were one point away from taking a set off their opposition. Yet, an attack error by Austin sent the game into extra points. The hosts' Catie Swiderski (Rocky Point, N.Y.) and St. Jean then put the match away for good, slamming down kills in succession, to propel FPU to the 26-24 victory and the three-set triumph.

Amador rounded out the match with eight kills and six digs. Adams and junior middle blocker Heather Ball (Gilbert, Ariz.) tallied five kills each. Senior setter Lulu Centro (Rome, Italy) amassed 28 assists and eight digs. Junior libero Rachel Ringor (Honolulu, Hawaii) collected a match-high 19 digs.

Head Coach Shellane Ogoshi and her LIU Post squad are back in action Tuesday (Oct. 7) in West Haven, Conn. at New Haven. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. The contest is a re-match of last year's NCAA Division II East Region final.