BOSTON, Mass. - The Wentworth Institute of Technology suffered two defeats Saturday, first dropping a tightly contested 3-2 affair with Lasell University, then coming up short 3-1 against Worcester State University at Tansey Gymnasium.
Lasell was strong out of the gates, scoring the first five points of the match and eventually building a 13-5 advantage in the opening set. But the home team chipped away at the lead and eventually came back with a strong run of their own. The Leopards ran off a 12-3 run and took a three point lead late in the set. But three straight points by the Lasers put the home team on the brink of dropping set one. Wentworth answered back with two points to get to a set point opportunity, but Lasell once again picked up three consecutive points to earn a 27-25 win and take a 1-0 set lead.
The second set was a similar story, as the visitors grabbed control early. Wentworth was unable to get anything going, and the Lasers built up an 18-4 lead in the second. But the Leopards again went on a dominant stretch to get back in it. The home team won 16 of the next 21 points to pull within three late in the set, but the deficit was too much to overcome as Lasell hung on for a 25-20 win and went ahead by two sets.
Wentworth was able to get out to a strong start in the third and avoided the uphill battle they faced in the first two sets. After taking an early three point lead, the home team was able to gradually build an advantage, and following a pair of kills found themselves ahead 17-10. The Leopards were able to capitalize on the lead and won the third set to get back in the match with a convincing 25-15 victory.
The home team was then able to build on that momentum in the fourth set, and after a trio of kills early on picked up a 5-1 lead. Lasell was able to stay within striking distance for a while, but Wentworth then took over the set with a 6-1 run that gave them a 17-6 lead. After another strong stretch by the Leopards, they put the set out of reach and pulled away to win a 25-14 decision to tie the match at two sets apiece.
Wentworth continued its strong play to start out the decisive fifth set, taking a 4-0 lead early. But the Lasers then went on an impressive run of their own, taking seven of the next nine points to grab a 7-6 lead. The Leopards answered by winning three of the next four and were within five points of victory, but Lasell took control from there. The visitors picked up the points they needed, closing the match out by winning seven of the final 10 points to take the fifth set by a score of 15-13 and picking up a 3-2 victory in the match.
Junior Riley Waggoner (Simi Valley, Calif.) led the Leopards with 18 kills, and freshman Ashley Cao (Morrisville, N.C.) had a team-high 23 assists in the match while Sophomore Megan Davies (Chandler, Ariz.) picked up 13 digs and five service aces.
Worcester State 3, Wentworth 2
Picking up in the late afternoon, Wentworth faced off with Worcester State in their second match. The two team traded points early, but neither was able to gain a significant lead. That is until late in the set. With the score tied at 17 apiece, the Lancers rallied for four straight points to take a 21-17 lead, the biggest advantage of the set to that point. Worcester State then built on the lead and were able to close things out with a 25-20 win in the first set.
The second set featured another tightly contested affair, as the two teams remained virtually deadlocked throughout. Midway through, the Lancers were able to take four of five points to gain a 16-14 advantage, but the Leopards followed that up by winning five of the next six points to take a two point lead of their own. As was the case in the first, Worcester State took control late and won seven of the final eight points to pick up a 25-21 win and put Wentworth on the brink, as they faced an 0-2 deficit in the match.
Worcester State looked to close things out in the third and looked as though they might, as the visitors took a three point lead in the early stages. But the Leopards came charging back, winning 10 of 11 points to build a sizeable lead. Despite a late flurry by the Lancers, the home team was able to pull within a set as they picked up a 25-17 victory in the third.
The fourth set resembled the first two, as the teams traded points. Neither team had a lead larger than two until late in the set. With the score tied at 16, Worcester State ran off four unanswered points to take a 20-16 lead. Not to be outdone, Wentworth came back once again, winning five of six to tie the set. The Leopards got to within a point of winning, and forcing a tiebreaking fifth set, but the Lancers picked up two straight points. Following a kill by the Leopards to tie the set at 25, the visitors got two kills of their own to take a 27-25 victory in the set, and win the match by a 3-1 score.
Waggoner once again led the Leopards, this time with 13 kills, while Cao again led the way with 24 assists. Davies had a team-best 16 digs, while freshman Ema Thompson (Lewistown, Idaho) had 15.
THE SERIES:
This was the 26th meeting with Lasell, with the Lasers now holding a 16-10 lead all-time. The Leopards drop to 11-14 in their series with Worcester State.
NEXT UP:
Wentworth is back at it Tuesday night, as they kick of conference play with a road matchup at the University of New England. Match time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
For the latest on Wentworth Athletics, follow the Leopards via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Wentworth Leopards "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
