BOSTON, Mass. – After dropping the opening set, the Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team rallied to take a 3-1 victory over Suffolk University in non-conference action played at Tansey Gymnasium.
With the score tied at 3-all in the opening frame, the Rams scored the next five points to take an 8-3 lead before the Leopards cut the score to 8-6. The Black & Gold would come as close as four points on four other occasions, however, the Rams held on to with the first set 25-18.
In the second set the Leopards stormed out to a 15-6 lead led by sophomore Hannah Bailey's (Plymouth, Mass.) five kills. Wentworth controlled most of the action and would extend their lead to 19-11 with solid serving and defense. After three straight points to make the score 22-11, Wentworth closed out the set 25-15.
With the match knotted at 1-all, set three started with back and forth play. The Rams went up 3-0 before Wentworth took seven of the next 10 points to take a 7-6 lead. But the Rams responded with a 5-0 run of their own to take the lead back 11-7. After the teams exchanged volleys and the Leopards called timeout the score was tied at 18-all. Suffolk then tried to take the momentum and took a late 21-19 lead. Once again the Leopards bounced back and tied it at 21-all. It would take 28 points to win the third set as the teams had ties at 23, 24, 25, and 26-all before Bailey finished off the set with a kill to give Wentworth the 28-26 win.
The Leopards controlled the final set by withstanding an early push by the Rams. With the set even at 12 the Black & Gold took eight of the next 10 points to make the score 18-14. Wentworth built their lead to 24-17 before Suffolk went on a late 4-0 spurt to tighten the match at 24-21. Wentworth would hold on and take the next point to end the frame 25-21.
Bailey notched 13 kills and eight digs to lead the Leopards, while sophomore Jordan Young (Derry, N.H.) added nine kills and four blocks. Freshman Stephanie Nihan (Dracut, Mass.) had eight kills and three blocks and classmate Sheena Dignean (Constantia, N.Y.) six kills and 10 digs. Dignean, freshman Amanda Hunton (Monroe, N.Y.), and junior Sam Curran (Quincy, Mass.) had two aces apiece with Curran and Hunton adding 18 and 12 digs, respectively. Junior Shannon Ponce (San Jose, Calif.) had 33 assists and 15 digs.
Junior Tori Brillaud (North Andover, Mass.) led Suffolk with 21 kills on an impressive 58 swings to go along with 13 digs. Senior Hailey Atkinson (Branford, Conn.) chipped in with five kills and nine digs, while freshman Savannah Carpenter (Weston, Conn.) had five blocks. Senior Colbey Kennedy (Old Lyme, Conn.) also had 13 digs for the Rams. Junior Glamarys Sierra (Carolina, P.R.) and senior Sarah Arbogast (Chesterfield, Mo.) combined for 34 assists on the night.
With the win Wentworth improves to 6-4 and hosts Regis and Mass. Maritime in a tri-match on Saturday. Suffolk falls to 6-5 and is at a Great Northeast Athletic Conference tri-match on Saturday at St. Joseph's (Maine), where the Rams will play the Monks and Simmons.
