By Sophia Oppedisano Sports Editor The Framingham State Rams volleyball team is back in the win column after an action-packed match against the University of Saint Joseph Blue Jays Oct. 9. The match puts the Rams overall record at 5-12 after losing eight of their last ten games. The Rams’ performance against the Blue Jays indicates they are ready to turn things around. The Rams defeated the Blue Jays in three straight sets and were led by the young talent on the team's roster. The Blue Jays jumped out to an early 3-1 lead in the first set. Sophomore Anneli DiVirgilio stepped up to the back line and silenced the attack. DiVirgilio’s skill shined as her serves, including two consecutive service aces, helped bring the Rams to an 11-3 lead. Sophomores Natalie Reynolds and Jamie Moniz were on the attack and tallied six combined kills. Moniz, DiVirgilio, and junior Captain Stella Bailey all tallied assists on kills before a service error from DiVirgilio ended the Rams’ run. The Rams and Blue Jays were evenly matched for the remainder of the set. Bailey and Moniz came up with blocks before momentum shifted toward the Blue Jays. Attack and service errors proved troublesome for both teams before freshman Sarah Medeiros earned two kills, assisted by Bailey and DiVirgilio, to push the Rams’ lead to 15-12. The Blue Jays fought back, but the set was ultimately won on a kill from Medeiros, assisted by Bailey, making the final score 25-19. The start of the second set mirrored the first as the Blue Jays came out to a quick lead of 4-0, tallying two kills and taking advantage of two Framingham attack errors. The Rams faltered as the set progressed, committing service and attack errors before battling back to tie the Blue Jays 14-14. Madysen Cedrone, a freshman, and Carly Beaulieu, a junior captain, each earned two service aces and Moniz earned one of her own to support the Rams’ comeback. The Rams and Blue Jays continued to trade the lead. Reynolds went up for a kill that just edged over the net to make the score 20-19. Bailey stepped up to serve and earned a service ace, as she and the Rams’ defense forced the Blue Jays into attack errors. An unassisted kill from Moniz won the second set for the Rams with a score of 25-21. Moniz tallied a .500 kill percentage that contributed to her 7-point stat line. Moniz said she has been focusing on consistency and the team is focused on keeping control during sets. The momentum in the third set favored the Rams from the start, as Reynolds notched a kill and a bad set from the Blue Jays put Framingham at a 2-0 lead. Reynolds scored on another two kills, both assisted by Bailey. Reynolds' scoreline boasted 55 total attack attempts with 17 kills. She also tallied five digs and one block assist. She concluded the match with a team-high 17.5 points. The remainder of the third set was dominated by long, tough volleys that displayed both teams' determination, but the Rams persisted on the attack. Reynolds and Bailey continued to dominate on kills and assists, while freshman Sabrina Stadelman and sophomore Emma Dobbins came up big in the front with blocks. Beaulieu came up with her third service ace of the match to make the score 15-7 in favor of the Rams. The Rams did not let up. A kill by Cedrone, assisted by Bailey, scored the final point to complete the sweep of the Blue Jays with a final score of 25-17. The win leads the Rams into back-to-back conference matchups against Westfield State and Mass. Maritime Oct. 11 and Oct. 16, respectively. Their current conference record stands at 0-1. Moniz said that in order to keep the momentum going, “We just need to keep building our team, our skills, playing to the best of our ability, and bringing it every day.”
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