PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Norwich University women's volleyball team fought valiantly to open up a weekend Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tri-match, taking Rivier University to a thrilling five sets before falling in the waning moments (12-25, 27-25, 14-25, 25-23, 11-15) and dropping three sets to JWU (Providence) (8-25, 11-25, 11-25) at the Wildcat Center on Saturday afternoon.

The Raiders controlled the opening set, seemingly capturing early momentum but the Cadets responded aggressively in the second frame.  Despite Rivier maintaining a late 24-21 lead and on the verge of taking back-to-back sets, Norwich did not go away quietly, rallying for three straight to knot the frame at 24-all.

A Cadet service error pushed Rivier to match point, but an attack error sandwiched between kills from Lillie Ells (Centerville, Mass.) and Giovanna Fruci (Wrentham, Mass.) off Ava Nihill (Marshfield, Mass.) helpers gave Norwich victory in the set.

The third set went much of the way of the first, but Norwich again had an answer in the fourth, finding themselves in a similar situation facing a 22-20 deficit.  The Cadets embarked on a 5-3 run, capped off by an Abby Kanaga (Apopka, Fla.) kill, to force a fifth and final set.

Fortune favored the Raiders to close the contest, as Rivier broke a 10-10 deadlock and never looked back despite an early kill by Katie Finn (Peru, N.Y.) off an Autumn Parkhurst (Parish, N.Y.) assist.

Finn paced the Cadets in kills in the contest, racking up 11, while Ells and Fruci tallied seven apiece.  Charlotte Johnson (Moultonborough, N.H.) was a force defending the net, earning five blocks.  Nihill dished out 24 assists, while Ells recorded 20 digs.

Norwich hung in early in all three sets with the Wildcats, but could not sustain a handful of dominant runs by the hosts at the midway section of each stanza.

Finn and Johnson earned four kills against JWU, while Fruci tallied two aces.  Nihill led the team in both assists and digs with 11 and nine, respectively.

The Cadets will continue their trek through GNAC action with a midweek bout at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, N.H. on Wednesday, Oct. 23.  The Chargers and Norwich will battle at 6:00 p.m.