DALLAS, Pa. – On day two of the Misericordia Cougar Classic Saturday, the Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team took an a 3-1 decision over the host Cougars, led by an impressive program-best 23-kill performance by freshman Emma Sanders (Mount Pleasant, S.C.), before dropping a four-set setback to the New Paltz Hawks.

 
MATCH ONE: WENTWORTH 3, MISERICORDIA 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A service ace from freshman Kate McLane (Columbus, Ohio) helped the Black & Gold set out to an early 2-1 edge in the first set. After traded points, a pair of kills from junior Ema Thompson (Lewiston, Idaho) gave the Leopards a tight 6-5 lead. The two teams swapped scores until back-to-back kills from freshman Emma Sanders (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) and senior Abby Warren (Gilmanton, N.H.) helped the Leopards grab a 14-10 lead. Two kills by McLane gave Wentworth respective 17-13 and 18-15 leads later in the set before two kills from Sanders extended the lead to a 22-17 score. Kills from Thompson, Sanders, and McLane eventually gave the Leopards a tight 25-23 set win.
• Kills by Sanders and sophomore Amanda Zweifler (Jersey City, N.J.) capped a 5-0 run for Wentworth to open the second set. A kill by Thompson continued the lead to 9-2 before two straight service aces from junior Abby Maher (North Granby, Conn.) stretched the lead to 13-4. Misericordia battled back, but a kill by McLane later gave the Leopards a comfortable 16-10 advantage. The hosts battled back again, this time to a 18-15 deficit, but a kill by Sanders pushed the advantage to four at 19-15. Two kills by Thompson helped the Leopards hold their lead, grabbing a 25-22 set win and a 2-0 match lead.
• Behind 2-0 to start the third set, two straight kills from Sanders tied things at two-all. The two teams traded points until Misericordia gained an 8-4 lead. Wentworth cut the deficit to two with kills by Sanders and sophomore Riley Schoonmaker (Montgomery, N.Y.), but the hosts continued their lead to 11-8 shortly thereafter. Behind 13-10, kills from Sanders and freshman Savannah Morford (Darien, Ill.) cut the deficit to one at 13-12. The two teams traded points for much of the rest of the set, with Wentworth holding a 21-18 lead late just before the hosts stormed back to grab a 25-22 set win, dwindling their deficit to one set in a 2-1 match.
• After Misericordia got out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth set, a slew of errors gave Wentworth a 6-2 advantage. A kill by Sanders carried the lead to 10-4 before a service ace by junior Helen Barthe (Blythewood, S.C.) stretched the lead to 13-5. After a push back from the hosts, two kills from Sanders gave Wentworth respective 17-14 and 18-15 leads late in the set. Misericordia eventually came back, all the way to take a 22-21 lead, but two kills from McLane and another from Sanders was enough to rally the Leopards into snagging a 25-23 set win and a 3-1 match win.

MATCH TWO: NEW PALTZ 3, WENTWORTH 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Behind 2-1 to the Hawks to start the first set, a Sanders kill tied things at two-all for the Leopards. New Paltz separated themselves from Wentworth, taking a 7-2 lead, but a kill from Barthe cut the deficit to four at 7-3. New Paltz held a lead for much of the mid-set, working the score to 14-6 until a kill from McLane cut the deficit to seven. A kill by Sanders later crept the Leopards closer in a 16-9 deficit while later, another Sanders kill cut the deficit to six in an 18-12 score. The Hawks held their lead for most of the set, continuing to hold for a 25-16 set win and a 1-0 match lead.
• Tied at two to start the second set, a kill by Sanders gave Wentworth a 3-2 edge. A kill by Schoonmaker later gave the Black & Gold a 4-3 edge before kills by Schoonmaker and McLane later extended the Leopards' lead to 8-5. The Hawks came back to tie the score at eight-all before kills from McLane and Sanders later gave the Leopards a 10-9 edge. Three straight kills from Sanders later gave Wentworth a 15-12 lead before New Paltz later charged back to tie the score at 17 apiece. Two kills in three sequences by Barthe and Sanders later gave the Leopards a 22-20 lead before kills by Barthe, Sanders, and Schoonmaker clinched the Leopards a 25-21 set win, tying the match at one per team.
• New Paltz set out to a 4-2 lead in the third set until a Barthe kill cut the deficit to one at 4-3. After a Hawks' push back, a Sanders service ace gave Wentworth a 7-6 edge before a Barthe service ace pushed the lead to 9-8. Behind 10-9, two straight kills from McLane pushed the Leopards to a 11-10 lead before New Paltz raced out to a 16-12 advantage. A kill by Sanders and a cluster of errors led to a 18-16 lead for Wentworth before New Paltz later tied the score at 21-21. Despite taking a 23-22 lead on a Schoonmaker kill, New Paltz rallied to take a 25-23 set win and a 2-1 match lead.
• Wentworth set out to a 1-0 lead in the fourth set thanks to a kill by Sanders but quickly went down 3-1 following. New Paltz grabbed a 7-5 lead that was cut by one with a Sanders kill at 7-6. The Hawks held their lead, continuing the score to 16-12, but two kills from McLane helped the Leopards slice the deficit to just one in a 16-15 score. Behind 18-15, a Sanders kill kept the Leopards in it, cutting the deficit to two at 18-16, before New Paltz separated themselves with a 21-16 advantage. The Hawks held on for a 25-18 set win and a 3-1 match victory.

SERIES NOTES:

• Today's matchups marked the first-ever between the two Leopards' respective opponents.

NEXT UP:

• The Black & Gold come back home to host Regis Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m.

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