Women's Volleyball Takes on Brandeis in Five-Set Battle

WALTHAM, Mass. – Trailing two sets to zero, the Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team mounted a furious comeback to force a fifth set, however, Brandeis prevailed in the final set to take a 3-2 win.

The Judges improve to 13-10 on the season, while the Leopards, who played in their fifth five-set match this season, fall to 14-9.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The opening set featured 14 ties and six lead changes as the teams went pretty much point-for-point until Brandies used a 6-1 run to snap a 15-all tie and take a 21-16 lead after a Julia Liang service ace. A kill from Kate McLane ended the run and started a string of three straight Wentworth points, with McLane added another kill to make it 21-19. The teams continued to trade points with McLane putting down a kill to make it 23-21, however, the Judges used a pair of kills to take the set, 25-21.
• The second set continued the back-and-forth momentum that started in the first set as the set had 22 ties and a dozen lead changes. The Black & Gold took a 3-1 lead after a McLane kill but found themselves quickly trailing 7-5 after the hosts used a 6-2 run to claim the lead. A Brandeis service error and an Ainsley Gregson service ace knotted the score at 7-all and an attack error gave Wentworth an 8-7 lead. The Leopards took their largest lead of the set at 15-12 when Riley Schoonmaker and McLane teamed up for a block. Not to be outdone, Brandeis went on a 10-4 run and took a 22-19 lead after a Leopard attack error. An attack error, a service ace from Emma Sanders, a kill from Helen Barthe and another Brandeis error gave Wentworth a 23-22 lead. The teams traded points, with the Judges staving off set point five times before taking a 29-28 lead. However, Wentworth got a kill from Barthe and an ace from Sanders to go ahead, 30-29. Three straight Brandeis points gave the hosts a 32-30 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.
• Using a 7-1 run, the Leopards turned a 6-4 deficit into an 11-7 lead after a McLane kill. Brandeis responded with a 5-1 run of its own and tied the set at 12-12 after a Kennedy Lilly kill. Trailing 18-17, Barthe and McLane sandwiched kills around an attack error and gave Wentworth a 20-18 lead. However, the Judges responded with three straight points of their own, taking a 21-20 lead. The teams traded points with Lilly recording a kill that put the hosts at match point (24-23). Barthe put down a kill and a Brandies attack error gave the Black Gold set point at 25-24. Brandeis staved off set point twice, using a Liang kill to tie the set, 26-all. However, a pair of errors by the Judges gave Wentworth a 28-26 win.
• A fast start in the fourth set put the Leopards ahead, 5-1, before four straight points evened the set at 5-all. Wentworth jumped ahead 8-5 and, trailing 10-9, used a 7-1 run to jump ahead 16-11 after a Schoonmaker kill. During the run, Sanders had a pair of kills and an ace. Brandeis used a 6-1 run to tie the set at 17-all and, after the Leopards went ahead 19-17, tied the set at 19-all. The Leopards took a 22-20 lead on a McLane kill but found themselves tied at 22-all after a kill and a block. Back-to-back kills from Sanders put the Black & Gold ahead, 24-22, however, the hosts got a kill to extend the match at 24-23. On the ensuing serve, Brandies made an error, giving the Leopards a 25-23 win and tying the match at 2-all.
• McLane started the firth set with a kill and a Brandeis attack error made it 2-0. The Judges used a 9-1 run to take a 9-3 lead and lead 13-6 before Wentworth used a 4-1 spurt, closing the gap to 14-10 after a Barthe kill. However, that would be as close as Wentworth would get as a kill gave Brandeis a 15-10 win and claimed the match, 3-2.
• McLane paced Wentworth's offense with 21 kills to go along with four blocks. Barthe added 18 kills and seven digs, while Sanders had a double-double with 10 kills and 17 digs and also served four aces. Olivia Vaughn dished out 50 assists.

THE SERIES:

• Tonight was just the second all-time meeting between the two teams and the first since the 2008 season.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth hosts Suffolk on Wednesday night in Conference of New England play.

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