BOSTON, Mass. –The #10 ranked Wentworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team added a pair of conference victories Saturday, first defeating Emerson College in straight sets, then picking up a 3-0 victory over Colby-Sawyer College.
A kill and block assist by sophomore Jacob LaBouliere (Pipersville, Pa.), combined with a block assist by junior Colin Stockton (Hummelstown, Pa.) got the Leopards going as they played to a 2-2 score early in the first. After falling behind by one, two straight points that included a kill from junior Alex McLane (Columbus, Ohio) gave Wentworth a 5-4 advantage. After a pair of Emerson errors, LaBouliere picked up three kills as the Leopards built upon their lead at 11-8. The last kill got Wentworth started on a 6-1 run that also featured kills by McLane and junior Hunter Oshman (Pennington, N.J.), and a service ace by Stockton to give the home team a 16-9 lead. Three Emerson errors extended the Leopards' lead, and back-to-back kills by Oshman and graduate student David Marsh (Springfield, Mass.) extended the lead to nine. After two straight aces by sophomore Tyler Jack (San Jose, Calif.) made it 23-12, Wentworth won the final two points of the set, including another kill by LaBouliere, to pick up a 25-12 victory.
After falling behind by one to start of the second set, the Leopards won the next four thanks to a kill each from LaBouliere and Oshman, as well as an ace by senior Connor Adams (Budd Lake, N.J.). Emerson came back shortly after to pull within a point at 5-4, but kills from Stockton and Jack made it a three-point lead for Wentworth. Oshman followed up with two kills and one ace, as the Leopards won five of six to take a 13-8 lead. Emerson came back to win four of the next five to get within two points, but LaBouliere and Oshman scored a kill each to make it a four-point lead once again. The Lions fought back once again, as a pair of Emerson kills narrowed the Wentworth lead to 17-15. The Leopards then scored six unanswered points, putting the set out of reach Oshman added another two kills. The run gave the Leopards a 23-15 lead, and they closed the set out shortly after thanks to one more kill by Oshman and a Lions error, as Wentworth took a 25-18 decision in the second.
The Leopards jumped on Emerson quickly in the third, opening up a 7-2 lead thanks to two kills by Oshman and one each from LaBouliere and senior Drew Potter (Towson, Md.). The Lions came back to get within two, winning four of the next five to make it an 8-6 deficit. Two more kills by Potter pushed the lead back to four, and he followed that with back-to-back service aces as part of a 6-1 run, making it a 14-7 lead for Wentworth. A kill by LaBouliere and multiple Lions errors extended the lead up to 19-11, and the Leopards won five of the next six to go ahead 24-14. LaBouliere, Potter, and sophomore Jacob Waga (East Northport, N.Y.) had one kill each during the stretch, and Waga finished off the match with another kill as Wentworth won the third set by a 25-17 final.
Oshman and LaBouliere tied for the team-high with 12 kills, while Adams had 30 assists. Senior Phoenix Stebbins (Harrisburg, Pa.) led Wentworth with eight kills on the day.
Wentworth 3, Colby-Sawyer 0
The Leopards started strong in their second game of the day, opening up their match with Colby-Sawyer on an 11-1 run. Waga and Potter led the way in the early going, picking up three kills each during the run and forcing a Chargers timeout. After a point by Colby-Sawyer, Wentworth got right back to it. Potter and Waga each added one more kill, and Jack put down two aces as well, giving the Leopards a 15-2 lead. Two aces by Potter and one by Waga, combined with kills from Marsh and Adams, gave Wentworth a 17-point advantage at 21-4. Adams picked up another kill an ace, followed by a kill from senior Anthony Krzykowski (Feeding Hills, Mich.) to close out the set with a 25-6 victory.
Wentworth started strong in the second set as well, winning five of the first six as Adams and Potter had one service ace each, with Potter adding two kills as well. The Chargers won the next point, followed by six unanswered from the Leopards. Waga came through with three kills, and freshman Sam Etter (Massillon, Ohio) added one as well to put Wentworth ahead 11-2. A pair of kills from Marsh made it a 13-5 score, but Colby-Sawyer then went on their own run, winning nine of 12 points to narrow their deficit to three points. With Wentworth still up by three and the score 19-16, two aces by Waga and a kill from Marsh were part of a 6-1 to pick up a 25-17 win and go up by two sets.
The Chargers took the lead in the beginning of the third, going ahead 4-1, but the Leopards quickly took control, winning eight of nine, as Marsh, Waga, and Etter scored kills, and Jack picked up another ace. Colby-Sawyer took the next point, but Wentworth came back with three straight to make it a 12-6 lead. Two kills and an ace from Potter extended the lead to 16-9, followed by a kill from Stebbins. The Chargers again cut into the Wentworth lead and got within four at 18-14, but a 6-1 run that featured kills by Stebbins and Potter gave the Leopards a 24-15 advantage, and Potter closed it out shortly after with a kill to end the set with a 25-17 victory.
Potter led the Leopards with 13 kills and four aces while hitting .526, and Adams had 27 assists to go along with nine digs, leading the team in each category.
THE SERIES:
The Leopards now lead the all-time series with Emerson 22-2, and have won all four meetings with Colby-Sawyer.
NEXT UP:
The Leopards are on the road Tuesday, March 29, as they travel to Dean College for a 7:00 p.m. match.
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