BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore Ashley Cao (Morrisville, N.C.) of Wentworth Institute of Technology's women's volleyball team recorded a team-high 7 kills despite the Leopards falling short against the Emerson Lions in non-conference play on Friday night.

RECORDS:

• Wentworth (10-8, 3-1 CCC)
• Emerson (11-2)

WENTWORTH STAT LEADERS:

• Kills – Ashley Cao, 7; Ema Thompson, 6; Helen Barthe, 4
• Assists – Lexi Zabloudil, 12; Ashley Cao, 9
• Aces – Helen Barthe, 3; Ashley Cao, 3; Megan Davies, 2
• Digs – Helen Barthe, 8 Sydney Brooke, 5
• Blocks – Riley Schoonmaker, 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Attacking errors hurt the Leopards early in the match, putting the Lions on a 5-0 run to start. A kill from sophomore Helen Barthe (Blythewood, S.C.) drew the Leopards closer, cutting the deficit to 9-3. The Lions dominated with kills of their own until a strong hit from sophomore Ema Thompson (Lewiston, Idaho) cut Wentworth's deficit in half 14-7. A kill from senior Riley Waggoner (Simi Valley, Calif) brought the score to 17-10 Lions. Sophomore Ashley Cao (Morrisville, N.C.) and freshman Riley Schoonmaker (Montgomery, N.Y.) each notched two kills to bring the score closer together, 19-17. A series of dominant kills by the Lions earned them a 25-18 win and a 1-0 match lead.
• The second set began with a series of errors on both sides of the net. The Lions began to separate themselves until a kill from sophomore Abby Maher (North Granby, Conn.) knotted the score at six apiece. The Lions again began to gain a lead until a kill from Thompson evened the score at 9-9. The Leopards stuck with the Lions in even play until the Lions sprawled out to a 24-16 lead. A kill from Waggoner in the final moments of the second set wasn't enough to keep Wentworth in play, giving the Lions a 25-19 set win and a 2-0 lead.
• Play stayed even to start the third set until a kill from Barthe sprung the Leopards ahead 4-3. Points differentiated to each side of the net until a kill from Thompson gave the Leopards a 10-7 lead. Another kill from Thompson and Cao extended the Leopards lead to 14-9. The Lions took advantage of errors made by the Leopards, bringing the score to even once again at 16-16. A kill from Maher would be the last point on the board for the Leopards, giving the Lions a 25-17 win and a 3-0 match victory.

THE SERIES:

• Tonight was the 18th meeting between the two teams. Emerson leads the all-time series 11-7.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth plays Gordon at home on Wednesday night in a Commonwealth Coast Conference matchup.

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