BOSTON, Mass. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team captured its second Commonwealth Coast Conference win, as the Leopards defeated Eastern Nazarene 3-0 on Tuesday at Tansey Gymnasium. Freshman Sydney Meyers (Arnold, Md.) led the way for the Leopards with her career-high 13 kills while hitting .444.
Wentworth evens its overall record to 8-8 and improves to 2-1 in league play while the Lions fall to 1-13 (0-2 CCC).
The Leopards opened the match with four straight points off of serves from senior Sam Curran (Quincy, Mass.). After Eastern Nazarene gained its first point of the match, Wentworth came back with another four straight to take the 8-2 lead. Wentworth controlled the first set, ending on an 11-2 run. Sophomore setter Amanda Hunton's (Monroe, N.Y.) back-to-back service aces gave the Leopards the first set, 25-8. As a team Wentworth hit .444 in the opening frame.
Much like set number one, Wentworth started out the second set with an early lead and never looked back. The Lions however, did make it interesting towards the end. Trailing 24-20, Eastern Nazarene strung together three straight points, thanks to impressive play from sophomore Joanna Joseph (Brockton, Mass.) and junior Hannah Welsh (Derry, N.H.). However, Wentworth held on to win the set thanks to a Meyers kill, at 25-23.
Eastern Nazarene's only lead came at the beginning of set three, as the Lions opened with a point. Wentworth responded with seven straight points, taking the early 7-1 lead. The Lions would tie the set at 11-all, but Wentworth took control of the final set, winning by a final of 25-19.
Junior Hannah Bailey (Plymouth, Mass.) added nine kills, Hunton served six aces, senior Shannon Ponce (San Jose, Calif.) tallied a match-high 30 assists (to go along with 14 digs), and Curran recorded a match-high 16 digs.
For the Lions, senior Kourtney Jenkins (Bunker Hill, W.Va.) led Eastern Nazarene with 10 kills and 12 digs. Freshman Brittany Good (Whitman, Mass.) had 10 assists in the match.
Wentworth returns to action on Thursday, October 2 to host Anna Maria in non-conference action. Eastern Nazarene hosts Rhode Island College tomorrow night in a non-conference match.