RINDGE, N.H. – The Saint Anselm College women's volleyball team picked up a straight-set victory over the Ravens from Franklin Pierce University on Tuesday.

Saint Anselm improves to 11-5 overall, moving to 1-0 in Northeast-10 Conference play. Franklin Pierce drops to 4-6 overall on the season, losing its conference opener. The Hawks host Bentley on Alumni Night this Friday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m.

Reigning NE10 Player of the Week Kaitlin Brown (Glendale, Ariz.) led Saint Anselm with nine kills, narrowly missing a double-double after recording 10 digs. Senior Lauren Casey (Jefferson City, Mo.) had six kills for the Hawks, reaching 10 kills alongside Brown.

Senior Caroline Belmontez (San Diego, Calif.) picked up 16 digs and five assists in the three-set win while classmate Michelle Henwood (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) handed out 23 assists with 11 digs, racking up a team-best four service aces. The Hawks posted 65 digs in their NE10 opener.

The Hawks opened up a commanding 15-6 lead in the first set but a late four-point run by the hosts made things interesting. Franklin Pierce also scored three of the final four points in the stanza, but an Audrey Wetjen (Henderson, Nev.) solo block to end the opener put the Hawks ahead by a 1-0 score in the match.

Saint Anselm forced a quick time out by Franklin Pierce, scoring seven of the first eight points of the second set. The Hawks again dictated the tempo of the match, building an 11-point lead (17-6) thanks to a Wetjen service ace. Saint Anselm scored six of the final seven points to earn a 25-10 set victory.

The score of the third set was as close as 14-12, Saint Anselm, before six of the next eight points went the Hawks way. Franklin Pierce battled back down the stretch, racking up seven points to bring the score within two, 23-21. Casey tepped up in a huge way, ending the match with back-to-back kills.