Schenectady, N.Y. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team went 1-1 in day one of the Union Crosstown Tournament on Friday evening inside the Viniar Athletic Center. The Leopards (6-2) downed SUNY Plattsburgh 3-0, before falling in five sets to the host Union Dutchmen.
Match One – Wentworth: 3, Plattsburgh: 0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-22)
The Leopards hit above .300 in two out of three sets played, highlighted by .346% hitting in the opener with 12 kills and three errors on 26 swings. After taking down Plattsburgh by set scores of 25-15 and 25-17, Wentworth battled the Cardinals point for point in the final set, with neither team gaining an advantage of over two points until a kill from Lauren DeVoe gave Plattsburgh a 14-11 advantage. An attack error from the Cardinals and a kill from freshman Devin Neal (Lebanon, Ohio) – who hit .429 with five kills in the match – pulled the Leopards back within one, 14-13. The Cardinals clenched to the lead until a pair of errors and a kill from junior Claire Quick (Mission Viejo, Calif.) tied the set at 20-20, where Wentworth then exploded for a 5-2 run to take the set 25-22.
Wentworth hit .293 as a team in the win, led by 10 kills apiece from junior Leah Rogoz (Woodridge, Ill.) and freshman Mary Zlotosch (Durham, N.H.), who hit a match-high .526% with zero errors. Rogoz also paced the defense with 14 digs, factoring into her third double-double of the season, while swinging into four aces for 14 overall points. Classmate Katie Clouse (Hudson Falls, N.Y.) dished out more than half of Wentworth's assists with 25.
Match Two – Union: 3, Wentworth: 2 (22-25, 25-22, 19-25, 25-15, 11-15)
Trailing 2-1, Wentworth earned a 25-15 set win in the fourth, but ultimately fell in the fifth set by a 15-11 score. After a 4-4 tie, the Leopards went on a quick 3-0 run with a kill apiece from Zlotosch and freshman Jade Iadarola (Miami, Fla.), and grabbed a 7-4 lead on the host Dutchmen. Two WIT errors and an ace from Emma Sprotbery quickly tied the set 7-7, and again at 10-10. A focused Dutchmen court closed out the fifth set on a 5-1 run, earning them the five-set victory.
Rogoz again led the Leopards with another impressive double-double, this time of a match-high 19 kills and 16 digs, with another four aces. Iadarola registered a season-high 12 kills with 13 digs for her first collegiate double-double, while Cambray and Clouse rounded out double-digit defense with 18 and 12 digs, respectively. Clouse also dished out 23 assists alongside classmate Maddy Tomastik (Portland, Ore.) who recorded 22 assists in the effort.
Wentworth returns to the court tomorrow for day two of the Union Crosstown Tournament, and is set to play Mt. St. Vincent at 1:00 p.m.
For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Wentworth Leopards "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.