BRISTOL, R.I. – In a record-breaking performance, freshmen Emma Sanders (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) and Olivia Vaughn (Bolingbrook, Ill.) smashed previous all-time single match records in both kills (Sanders, 26) and assists (Vaughn, 51) as the Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team (17-5, 5-0 CCC) battled past Roger Williams (6-13, 1-5 CCC) in a five-set thriller Saturday afternoon.

The triumph extended the Leopards' win streak to nine straight and keeps them undefeated in conference play.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A kill by freshman Kate McLane (Columbus, Ohio) helped the Leopards to a 3-0 lead in the first set before Roger Williams climbed back to take a 7-4 advantage. The Hawks continued the lead to 13-6 before a kill by Sanders marked a 13-7 score. Down 16-11, another kill by Sanders cut the deficit to four at 16-12. The Leopards battled back from being down 18-12 before eventually tying the set at 22-all with three straight kills by McLane. Roger Williams fended off Wentworth, grabbing a narrow 25-23 set win.
• Roger Williams set out to a 6-3 lead to start the second set before kills by Sanders and junior Ema Thompson (Lewiston, Idaho) helped Wentworth take a 10-6 lead. Two kills by McLane continued the lead to 14-10 before a kill by Sanders and a service ace by sophomore Amanda Zweifler (Jersey City, N.J.) brought the lead to 21-15. Two kills by Thompson and another by Sanders helped the Leopards grab a 25-22 set win to tie the match at one-all.
• A batch of kills gave Wentworth a 7-2 lead to start the third set before a kill by Sanders continued the lead to 8-4. Holding a lead for much of the set, two kills by Sanders pushed Wentworth's lead to 17-9 before kills by Thompson and sophomore Riley Schoonmaker (Montgomery, N.Y.) continued the lead to 21-13. Two kills by McLane gave the Leopards a 25-15 set win and a 2-1 match edge.
• Two kills by Sanders and another by graduate student Riley Waggoner (Simi Valley, Calif.) gave the Leopards a 5-2 advantage in the fourth set before Roger Williams fought back to take an 8-6 lead. The two teams swapped scores and had one lead change until the Hawks held a 21-16 lead. Kills by Schoonmaker, Sanders, and McLane closed the gap at 22-19, but the Hawks held on for a 25-20 set win, tying the match once more at two aside.
• The two teams worked up the score in the fifth set, bringing the score to 7-7, until three kills for each McLane and Sanders separated the Leopards and gave Wentworth a decisive 15-8 win and a 3-2 conference match win.

SERIES NOTES:

• The Leopards have grabbed two straight wins over the Hawks.

NEXT UP:

• The Black & Gold look to push their win streak to ten straight as they host Western New England on Thursday night.
  
  

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