KINGS POINT, N.Y. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team opened the 2013 campaign with a 3-1 loss to host Merchant Marine Academy at the Kings Point Invitational. The match was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
The Mariners, who had seven of their 18 serve aces in the first set, used a balanced attack to take a 25-18 win in a set that saw just one tie in the early stages. Wentworth had three players record two kills apiece in the set, as sophomore Hannah Bailey (Plymouth, Mass.), sophomore Jordan Young (Derry, N.H.), and freshman Sheena Dignean (Constantia, N.Y.) led the way. Bailey and Dignean also had four digs each.
Wentworth earned a 7-3 advantage early in the second set but the Mariners chipped away until they took six straight points to gain a 19-16 edge, en route to a 25-20 decision. The Leopards hit .150 as a team with Bailey recording five kills on 10 swings and adding four digs.
Looking to extend the match the Leopards used a 5-1 spurt in the middle of the third set which would ultimately be the difference in a 25-21 victory for the visitors. Wentworth once again hit .150, however Merchant Marine hit .258. Bailey (three kills, three digs), Dignean (two kills, two digs), and freshman Amanda Hunton's (Monroe, N.Y.) two aces paced the Leopard offense.
The fourth set was tightly contested until the Mariners used a 9-2 run that included three aces to break the set open and earn the victory with a 25-20 win. Bailey (three kills, three digs, two blocks) and Dignean (three kills) led Wentworth in the fourth set.
In her Wentworth debut, Bailey recorded a double-double, finishing with 13 kills and 14 digs to go along with a pair of blocks. Dignean added eight kills, seven digs, and two blocks, while freshman Stephanie Nihan (Dracut, Mass.) had seven kills. Senior Mary Horgan (Mahwah, N.J.) chipped in with three blocks, Hunton had 25 assists and three aces, and junior Sam Curran (Quincy, Mass.) finished with eight digs.
Wentworth continues play on Saturday against Farmingdale State and CCNY.
