RINDGE, N.H. (9/23/25) – The Franklin Pierce volleyball team completed a miraculous comeback win over the Saint Anselm Hawks, 3-2 (22-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 15-6), to secure their first home win since October of 2023.
Score: Franklin Pierce 3, Saint Anselm 2
Records: Franklin Pierce 3-7 (0-0 NE10), Saint Anselm 4-4 (0-0 NE10)
Location: The Fieldhouse, Franklin Pierce University, Rindge, N.H.
Date: September 23, 2025.
The Hawks started the match by winning the first two sets. Both were closely contested sets with the Ravens having a late lead.
The Ravens and the Hawks ended the first two sets even in kills, with 23, but what put the Ravens behind were their errors on attacks and serves. The Ravens quickly found themselves with their backs against the wall, but they were not out of the game.
The third set is where the Ravens' offense began to shine. They scored 15 kills to the Hawks' nine and held Saint Anselm to a .037 hitting percentage.
Senior outside hitter Avery LeBlanc (Exeter, RI) led the way offensively. She amassed 14 kills in the match and continued to find the open spots of the court.
Another key factor was senior setter Annaka Lindstrom (Dudley, MA), who stepped up into the middle-blocker position, helping the Ravens record three blocks in the third set alone.
"I think Al (Avery Leblanc) did a really good job, and so did Annaka. As seniors, they both kind of pull up like the experience and led the team," said Ravens Head Coach Daniela Stake.
The Ravens have seven seniors on their twelve-player roster. Players like Leblanc and Lindstrom, along with senior outside hitter Katholiki Koukia (Rhodes, Greece) and Martina Spackova (Bratislava, Slovakia), brought leadership and experience in the early deficit.
Stake said that "they all lead by example." The experience helped the team gain momentum.
The Ravens won the third set, and then they secured the fourth set to force a fifth set. With all the momentum on their side, there seemed to be no sign of slowing down.
On their way there, freshman outside hitter Jayne Hyatt (Granby, CT) delivered clutch kills on her way to an eight-kill performance, and sophomore libero Peyton Stupavsky (Quincy, IL) kept many plays alive and recorded 13 digs, many of which were acrobatic.
The fifth set was all Ravens from start to finish, with the win being secured by a Hawks block attempt that went out of bounds. The win secured their first win at the Fieldhouse since October 24, 2023, when the Ravens defeated the Saint Michael's Purple Knights in five sets in a similar fashion.
Now the Ravens aim to keep this momentum going into their next match on Friday night as they host the Post Eagles. The game will start at 7:00 p.m. on September 26 at the Fieldhouse.
