Women's Volleyball Drops Pair to Cap Stevens Tournament

HOBOKEN, N.J. – Despite strong, balanced days on both sides of the ball, the Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team (8-5) dropped both contests to cap off their run at the Stevens Tournament, falling to William Smith (9-2) in straight sets before coming up short versus Montclair State (8-5) in a five-set thriller.

MATCH ONE: WILLIAM SMITH 3, WENTWORTH 0

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After William Smith set out to a 3-1 lead in the opening frame, two kills from Kate McLane and another by Emma Sanders rallied the Leopards to take a 5-3 advantage before a slew of errors carried the Leopards' lead to 12-6. The Herons battled back, tying the set at 15-all, before McLane notched two finishes to mark an 18-16 lead. A kill by Sanders marked a 22-18 lead, but the Herons rallied back, grabbing a 25-22 set win.
• The two teams swapped scores to begin the second set before two kills by Kayla DeCastro gave the Leopards a 7-5 lead. A slew of errors helped the Black & Gold continue their advantage to 15-7 before two kills by McLane capped a 20-12 lead. However, the Herons ended the set on a 13-3 run, coming from behind to take a 25-23 set win.
• A finish by Sanders marked a 4-3 edge for the Leopards in the third frame before another marked a 6-4 lead. Once again, the Herons rallied, scoring 13 of the next 15 points to take hold of a 17-8 advantage. Finishes from McLane and Sanders later dwindled the deficit to 21-17, but William Smith would fend off any last chance from the Leopards to take a 25-20 set win.

SERIES NOTES:

• Today marked the first-ever all-time clash between the two teams.

MATCH TWO: MONTCLAIR STATE 3, WENTWORTH 2

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Behind 5-1, a 4-0 run for the Leopards capped by a Sanders' kill knotted the start of the first set. The Redhawks separated themselves with an 11-6 advantage before continuing to 14-10. Two kills by DeCastro cut the deficit to 14-12 before Montclair State continued their lead to 19-15. A finish by McLane helped the Leopards later tie the set at 21-all, but the Redhawks escaped with a 25-21 set win.
• Montclair State jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the second frame before two kills from McLane and another by Sanders helped dwindle the deficit to 9-7. Two kills by Sanders and another by DeCastro helped the Black & Gold rally later on to take a 16-14 lead before the Redhawks fired back to take a 19-17 lead. The Leopards kept it close, but the Redhawks capped off a 25-20 set win.
• Wentworth came out hot in the third set, opening on an 11-4 run that included three finishes by Sanders and two aces by Kinsey Lutz. Two kills from DeCastro helped jump the advantage to 20-6 before finishes by Sanders and Helen Barthe helped the Leopards grab a 25-13 set win.
• The two teams swapped scores to open the fourth set, marking a 6-5 lead for the Redhawks, before the Leopards ended the set on a miraculous 20-2 run that featured three kills from DeCastro and two blocks from the duo of Riley Schoonmaker and Sanders, marking a 25-8 set.
• Two kills by Sanders marked 4-2 and 5-4 leads in the fifth set, respectively, before another later marked a 9-8 edge. The Redhawks rallied to take a 13-10 lead before kills from Barthe and Sanders brought the Black & Gold within one later on at 14-13. However, Montclair State held on for the decisive 15-13 set win.

SERIES NOTES:

• Today marked the fourth all-time meeting between the two teams.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth opens their conference slate at Western New England on Wednesday.

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