Crazy Eights

BOSTON, Mass. – The Wentworth institute of Technology women's volleyball team swept Manhattanville, 3-0, and John Jay, 3-0, to even its record at 8-8 and tie the total number of wins achieved in the 2010 season in a non-conference tri-match at Tansey Gymnasium. The middle match of the day saw Manhattanville defeat John Jay, 3-0.

MATCH 1:  WENTWORTH 3, MANHATTANVILLE 0 (25-13, 25-22, 25-21)
After a pair of ties at 1-all and 2-all in the opening set, the Leopards proceeded to score 11 of the next 14 points to take a commanding, 12-5 lead. The Valiants scored the next three points out of a time out to close the gap to 14-8 and would eventually trail by a 16-12 margin. However, Wentworth scored the next eight points to go ahead, 24-12, and would win, 25-13.

Manhattanville came out of the blocks fast in the second set, opening up leads of 4-0, 5-1, and, eventually, 12-6. Wentworth scored the next three points out of a time out to cut the deficit in half and whittled it to 14-12 before the Valiants pushed the lead back to six at 18-12. However, the Leopards went on a 10-1 run, including scoring five straight points to take a 22-19 lead and would pull away, 25-22.

The third set was a back-and-forth affair that featured four ties, including one at 6-all. The Black & Gold scored six of the next seven point to take a 12-7 lead and held a 14-8 lead before the visitors came back with three straight to pull within three. A 6-1 Wentworth run gave the Leopards some breathing room at 20-12, but Manhattanville used a 6-1 run of its own to pull back within three (21-18). The two teams traded 3-0 spurts, making it a 24-21 match before Wentworth completed the sweep with a 25-21 win.

Sophomore Michelle Hobbs (Northwood, N.H.) had nine kills and three aces to pace the offense with juniors Julie Rahilly (Nashua, N.H.) and Erica Wright (West Hartford, Conn.) adding seven and six, respectively. Senior Julie Bruton (Montgomery, Texas) had 13 digs and five blocks while sophomore Mary Horgan (Mahwah, N.J.) had 25 assists.

Manhattanville was led by seniors Damaris Morales (Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic) and Aly Johnson (Branford, Conn.) who each recorded five kills. Johnson also had a team-high 13 digs, while sophomore Suzy Camaj (Lagrangeville, N.Y.) and freshman Sam Delmer (Boise, Idaho) each had a pair of aces.

MATCH 2:  MANHATTANVILLE 3, JOHN JAY 0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-13)
The Valiants bounced back in the second match of the day with a 3-0 win over John Jay. The opening set saw Manhattanville use an 11-1 run to break open a 1-1 tie. The Bloodhounds would pull as close as 13-6, but four straight Valiant points made it a 17-6 set and they never looked back, en route to a 25-12 win.

In the second set the Bloodhouds took an early 4-1 lead and, after Manhattanville tied the score at 4-all, went ahead 6-4. Seven straight Manhattanville points gave the Valiants the lead back for good at 11-6, and, despite John Jay closing the gap to as few as three on a pair of occasions, Manhattanville took a 25-19 win to go ahead 2-0.

The Valiants took a commanding, 7-1 lead in the third set and never looked back, taking a 25-13 third set and completing the 3-0 sweep.

For Manhattanville (8-5), Camaj had seven kills on 10 swings while Morales and senior Maggie Black (Seattle, Wash.) had six and five kills, respectively. Morales, Black, Delmer, and freshman Veronical Ferreiras (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) each had two aces while senior Makena Gomes (Honolulu, Hawaii) and Ferreiras shared the setting duties with 13 and 12 assists, respectively.

John Jay was paced by sophomore Matrina Hot (Glendale, N.Y.) who had seven kills. Senior Renauta Sailsman (Spanishtown, Jamaica) had 13 digs and three aces, while freshman Katherine Bonilla (Long Island City, N.Y.) had eight digs and 10 assists.

MATCH 3:  WENTWORTH 3, JOHN JAY 0 (25-12, 25-8, 25-8)
The Leopards completed the sweep and evened their record at 8-8 by hitting .409 as a team. Wentworth started the match with a 6-2 lead in the opening set before the Bloodhounds made it a 6-4 contest. Leading 10-7, the Black & Gold scored 11 of the next 12 points to take a 21-8 lead and never looked back, rolling to a 25-12 set one win.

Hitting a match-high .500, Wentworth took a 2-0 lead after a 25-8 win in the second set as the Leopards jumped out to leads of 6-1 and 9-2. John Jay would pull within six at 11-5 before the Leopards went on a 14-3 run – including scoring seven of the final eight points.

The third set saw the Black & Gold open up a 6-2 lead and hold a 10-7 lead before finishing the match with a 15-1 run.

Wright had nine kills on 10 swings while junior Nicole Wetherbee (Pembroke, Mass.) and Rahilly each added five kills. Wetherbee and freshman Jessica Houghton (Billerica, Mass.) had four aces and Horgan dished out 27 assists.

John Jay (0-12) was led by Sailsman and sophomore Kathleen Estevez (New York, N.Y.), who each had three kills. Senior Rocio Chavira (Bronx, N.Y.) had 12 digs, while Bonilla had nine assists.