BOSTON, Mass. – Senior Alyssa Jasper (Rockland, Mass.) recorded 34 kills and 28 digs to help the Worcester State University women's volleyball team to a pair of wins in a tri-match hosted by Wentworth Institute of Technology. The Lancers defeated Lesley, 3-1, and edged the host Leopards, 3-2. In the opening match of the day, the Lynx defeated Wentworth, 3-0.
MATCH ONE: Lesley 3, Wentworth 0
Freshman Anni Abbruzzesse (Croton on Hudson, N.Y.) recorded 11 kills, served three aces, and had seven digs to help pace the Lynx to their fifth straight win. Lesley hit .256 as a team in the opening frame to take a 25-16 win and extended its lead with a 25-22 win in the second set before using a 25-21 win in the third set to complete the sweep.
Freshman Ciara Bruning (Centerville, Mass.) added six kills and six digs, while seniors Anthea Rathjens (Sudbury, Mass.) and Danielle Johnson (Waterford, Conn.) had five kills apiece. Rathjens also contributed with three blocks. Senior Danielle McDonald (Lilitz, Pa.) had 20 digs and junior Emily Marden (Fremont, Calif.) had 27 assists and 11 digs.
Junior Hannah Bailey (Plymouth, Mass.) and freshman Sydney Meyers (Arnold, Md.) had seven kills each for the Leopards, while freshman Kayla Gendreau (Hudson, N.H.) had four blocks. Seniors Sam Curran (Quincy, Mass.) and Shannon Ponce (San Jose, Calif.) had 16 digs and 20 assists, respectively, while freshman Katelyn Carlson (Stratford, Conn.) had 12 digs.
MATCH TWO: Worcester State 3, Lesley 1
Jasper paced the Lancer offense with nine kills to go along with a dozen digs as Worcester State dropped the opening set by a 25-15 score before taking the next three sets, 25-15, 25-10, and 27-25. Sophomore Jamika Townsend (Virginia Beach, Fla.) had six kills, and junior Jennifer Cabral (Swansea, Mass.) and junior Meghan Deighan (Lynnfield, Mass.) had five kills apiece. Senior Amanda Lewis (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) had 30 assists, 14 digs, and four blocks, sophomore Valerie Hoyle (Bridgewater, Mass.) had five blocks, and junior Kaylee Leduc (Swansea, Mass.) had 25 digs.
Bruning led the Lynx (5-2) with 14 kills while Abbruzzese chipped in with five kills and 13 digs. Marden had 22 assists and 14 digs and McDonald added 20 digs and served two aces.
MATCH THREE: Worcester State 3, Wentworth 2
Worcester State (10-2) won its fifth straight match after rallying form a 7-2 deficit in the fifth set to take an 18-16 win. The two teams traded sets won as Wentworth won the opening set, 25-22, before the Lancers evened the score with a 25-18 win. The Leopards regained the lead with a 25-22 win and Worcester State forced the deciding set with a 25-16 win. In the fifth set, Curran served the Leopards to a 3-0 lead, which was extended to 7-2 before an 8-3 run by the Lancers tied the set at 10-all. Wentworth twice had match point, however Worcester State came back to tie it each time before an error and a kill gave the Lancers the win.
Jasper had 25 kills, 16 digs, and three blocks while Cabral had 14 kills and 14 digs. Townsend added seven kills, six assists, and 21 digs, Lewis had 42 assists and 12 digs, and Leduc had 37 digs.
Bailey had 12 kills, 15 digs, and four blocks for the Leopards (6-6), while Carlson added 11 kills, 11 digs, and three blocks, sophomore Stephanie Nihan (Dracut, Mass.) had eight kills, Ponce had 36 assists, 12 digs, and three blocks, Gendreau had eight blocks, and Curran had 29 digs.
Wentworth opens Commonwealth Coast Conference play Tuesday night at Curry.