DALLAS, Pa. – In the weekend's opener of the Misericordia Cougar Classic, the Wentworth women's volleyball team (6-2) swept Wilkes (3-4) in their first game of the night before suffering a five-set setback to the Montclair State Red Hawks (6-4) in the nightcap.

 
MATCH ONE: WENTWORTH 3, WILKES 0

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Two kills by senior Abby Warren (Gilmanton, N.H.) put the Leopards out to a 2-1 lead in the first set before two kills from junior Ema Thompson (Lewiston, Idaho) and a service ace by freshman Emma Sanders (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) gave Wentworth a commanding 8-3 advantage. Wilkes fought back to a one-point deficit at 10-9 until a kill by sophomore Riley Schoonmaker (Montgomery, N.Y.) extended the lead to two. A slew of errors and two more kills by Warren let Wentworth ride to a 25-11 set win.
• Four service aces from freshman Olivia Vaughn (Bolingbrook, Ill.) combined with five kills from Sanders gave the Leopards a dominant 11-2 advantage to open the second set. A kill by Thompson and two from Schoonmaker continued the lead to 16-3 before kills from Sanders, Thompson, and freshman Kate McLane (Columbus, Ohio) pushed the lead to 20-4, marking another lengthy run of 9-2. Two kills by McLane and two service aces from Vaughn gave the Leopards a 25-7 second set win and a 2-0 match lead.
• Kills by Warren, Sanders, and McLane pushed Wentworth to a 7-1 lead in the third set. A cluster of errors plagued Wilkes, putting the Black & Gold ahead 20-5 before a kill by Sanders marked a 21-5 advantage. Kills from Sanders and Thompson gave the Leopards a deciding 25-9 set win and a 3-0 match triumph.

SERIES NOTES:

• Today marked the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

MATCH TWO: MONTCLAIR STATE 3, WENTWORTH 2

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Traded points started the first set, with Wentworth setting out to a 4-2 lead thanks to four kills from Sanders. A kill from Thompson continued the lead to 8-5 and Wentworth continued to hold their lead to a 12-9 advantage thanks to a McLane kill. The lead pushed to 14-10 with another McLane kill before two kills from Thompson and another from Sanders pushed the advantage to 18-14. Montclair State crawled back, tying the match at 21 apiece, before the Leopards' two kills from Sanders and another from McLane clinched themselves a 25-22 set win.
• The Red Hawks opened the second set with three straight points before two kills from Sanders and another from Thompson eventually cut the deficit to 5-3. The Red Hawks extended their lead to 12-6 before a McLane kill cut the deficit to five at 12-7. Two kills from Sanders eventually sliced the deficit to 13-9 before Montclair State went on a run, extending their lead to a 20-12 score. The Red Hawks grabbed a 25-13 set win, tying the match at one apiece.
• A kill and service ace each by McLane gave the Leopards a 2-0 edge to start the third set before the Red Hawks rattled off five straight to take a 5-2 lead. Wentworth eventually tied the score at seven-all before Montclair State gained their lead back in a 10-7 score. A kill by McLane tied the score at ten apiece before a Sanders kill eventually gave the Black & Gold a 15-13 lead. Thompson and Schoonmaker kills gave Wentworth a 19-15 lead, their biggest advantage of the set, before Montclair State eventually tied the score at 19-19. Kills by McLane, Warren, and McLane gave Wentworth a 23-20 lead before the Leopards grabbed a 25-20 set win, taking a 2-1 match lead.
• Kills from Warren, McLane, and Sanders helped Wentworth set out to a 5-2 lead in the fourth set before the Red Hawks marched back, eventually scoring five of the next seven points to tie the set at seven-all. Montclair State rattled off seven straight points, taking a 14-7 advantage, and never looked back. Behind 21-14, a kill by Warren cut the deficit to six at 21-16. Two late Leopard kills weren't enough as the Red Hawks snagged a 25-20 set win, tying the match at two-all.
• The fifth set started with three straight points from the Red Hawks, marking a 3-0 score, just before the Leopards fought back to eventually cut the deficit to one at 4-3. Montclair State held their lead for much of the set, working the score up to 10-6. A McLane kill while behind 13-8 dwindled the deficit back to five, but the Red Hawks were able to hold on for a 15-11 set win and a tight 3-2 match win.

NEXT UP:

• The Leopards stay in Pennsylvania tomorrow, playing host Misericordia (11:00 a.m.) and New Paltz (1:00 p.m.).

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