WENHAM, Mass. – The Gordon College women's volleyball team rallied from two sets down and staved off match point three times in the final set as the Fighting Scots rallied past Wentworth Institute of Technology, 3-2, in a Commonwealth Coast Conference match played at the Bennett Center.
With the win Gordon improves to 7-7 overall and 2-0 in CCC play while the Leopards see their five-match win streak halted, dropping to 11-2 overall and 0-1 in league play.
Wentworth took the first set, leading nearly from start to finish. The Leopards fell behind 2-1 but used a 9-3 run to take a 10-5 lead on a kill from freshman Claire Quick (Mission Viejo, Calif.). Wentworth extended its lead to 20-8 on a junior Katelyn Carlson (Stratford, Conn.) kill and would take the set, 25-15, after a junior Caroline Shea (Abington, Mass.) kill. The Black & Gold hit .310 in the set and got four kills on four swings from Carlson to go along with three kills on four swings from Quick.
Gordon took a 12-9 lead in the second set after a Carleigh Petersen (North Hills, Calif.) kill, however Wentworth battled back to take a 21-19 lead after a Fighting Scot attack error. Gordon scored the next two points to even the set at 21-all, however the Leopards scored four of the next five points to go ahead 2-0 with a 25-22 win. Wentworth hit a match-high .321 in the set and got five kills from freshman Leah Rogoz (Woodridge, Ill.).
The Fighting Scots took the third set by a 25-19 score as they led from start to finish. Wentworth made a late run, closing the gap to 22-19 on a kill from freshman Katie Clouse (Hudson Falls, N.Y.), however three straight points from the hosts closed out the set. Rogoz had three kills in the set and classmate Samantha Lassiter (Rogers, Ark.) recorded a pair of blocks.
Gordon forced the deciding set by taking a 25-21 win in the fourth set, a set which featured seven ties and three lead changes. Gordon took the lead for good at 11-10 on a Jamie Tafoya kill and held a 21-17 lead before Wentworth closed the gap to three on three occasions, including on a Clouse ace which made its 24-21. However, a Fighting Scot kill ended the set. She paced the offense in the set with three ills and didn't make an error on six swings. Carlson and senior Stephanie Nihan (Dracut, Mass.) had two blocks apiece.
The Deciding set was tightly contested until Wentworth used a 5-2 run and took a 14-11 lead on a kill from Quick. However, the hosts received a pair of kills and capitalized on an attack error to tie the score at 14-all and extending their match-clinching 5-0 run with a kill and an ace.
Rogoz recorded 14 kills, 13 digs, and three blocks for Wentworth while Quick added 11 kills and 15 digs. Shea had six kills and two blocks, Carlson had five kills, 17 assists, and five blocks, Clouse had 22 assists, Lassiter had five blocks, and sophomore Lillie Clark (Vista, Calif.) had 18 digs.
Wentworth hosts Salve Regina on Tuesday.
