Rams Defeat Vikings on Senior Day

Jose Rodriguez '24, Staff Writer | Media & Communications

Salem, Mass.-  Framingham State secured a 3-0 victory against Salem State (25-16, 25-20 and 25-12) on Saturday at Twohig Gymnasium. The Rams finish their regular season with a record of 18-10, 4-3 while the Vikings ended their season with a record of 8-12, 2-5. 

Natalie Reynolds (Beverly, Mass.) played a crucial role in the Rams' triumph, averaging 12.5 points throughout the game. Carly Beaulieu's (Sutton, Mass.)  five service aces, Stella Bailey (Wrentham, Mass.) 28 assists and Mackenzie Heaney (Stony Brook, N.Y.) 20 digs propelled the Rams to victory. On the other hand, Presley Shairs (Salem, Mass.) was Salem State's top scorer, with an average of 14 points per game and ten kills. Eva Haralabatos had 13 digs, and Celia Carbone (Lynnfield, Mass.) had nine assists.  

Prior to the game, Salem State recognized Abigail O'Connor (Gilford, N.H.) as the senior was honored for her dedication and commitment to the program.   

The Rams started strong, going off on a 7-3 run, which was highlighted by Beaulieau's four straight serves, forcing Coach McNulty to call a timeout. After the timeout, O'Connor recorded her 400th kill for her collegiate volleyball career. The score was 13-6 in favor of the Rams when Shairs made an impressive kill, and Salem State tried to make a comeback in the game. However, Framingham State's 6-2 run, highlighted by Bailey's five straight serves, made it difficult for Salem State to recover, and they lost the first set 25-16.  

During the first set, Reynolds led the charge for Framingham State, averaging 6.5 points and recording four kills. Bailey also contributed an impressive 13 assists, while Heaney had four digs. For Salem State,  Shairs led the charge, averaging 5.0 points per game. O'Connor and Shairs both had four kills, while Haralabatos (Melrose, Mass.) chipped in with four digs and four assists. Carbone also contributed with four assists.  

In the second set, Salem State was looking to bounce back after losing the first set. Shairs scored the first two points for Salem State then O'Connor added a point making the score 3-2, and the crowd went wild. The Vikings then took the lead, going up 8-5 against Framingham State, which was highlighted by O'Connor's two impressive blocks. A few plays later, Salem State scored three straight service aces, highlighted by Shairs' two straight serves. However, Beaulieu  made an unbelievable spike to put the score at 14-12. Framingham State bounced back to tie the game at 18, and the rest of the second set was a competitive battle between Salem State and Framingham State. The Rams were up 22-19, which was highlighted by three straight points by Heaney. Framingham managed to secure a set two victory by a score of 25-19. 

Throughout the second set, Reynolds continued to lead the charge for the Rams, averaging 8.5 points throughout the first two sets, with six kills. Heaney had 15 digs, while Stella Bailey chipped in with 20 assists. On the other hand, Shairs topped  Salem State, averaging 12 points per game and eight kills. Haralabatos had 11 digs and six assists, while Carbone contributed with six assists. 

Salem State was looking to avoid getting shutout. They went on a 3-0 run to start the third, highlighted by Haralabatos' three straight serves. The Rams tied the game at five, and it was a brand new ball game. Dawn Eisnor (Medford, Mass.) made an unbelievable diving play, which was pivotal in holding the Rams' scoring at bay as Salem State held a slim lead. Eventually, Framingham went on a remarkable 8-0 run, which was highlighted by Anneli Di Virgilio's (Brookline, N.H.)  eight straight serves. Late in the game, the score was 23-12 in favor of the Rams, and they added two more points to their tally, securing a dominant three straight sets victory over the Vikings.