Women’s Volleyball Picks Up Four Set Victory Over Conference Opponent Western New England

BOSTON, Mass. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team defeated Western New England University Saturday morning, improving to 3-0 in conference play with a 3-1 victory over the Golden Bears.

RECORDS

• Wentworth (10-5, 3-0 CCC)
• Western New England (6-6, 1-1 CCC)

WENTWORTH STAT LEADERS:

• Kills – Riley Waggoner, 12; Lauren Edmiston, 12; Ema Thompson, 7
• Assists – Ashley Cao, 20; Lexi Zabloudil, 14; Megan Davies, 8
• Aces – Chaise Kakuk, 7; Lexi Zabloudil, 4; Megan Davies, 2
• Digs – Payton Tague, 14; Lexi Zabloudil, 10; Megan Davies, 8
• Blocks – Lauren Edmiston, 3; Viviann Goulet, 3

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Golden Bears took the lead in the first and were able to keep a small advantage early on. Following three straight points by the Leopards to tie the set at nine, Western New England took eight of the next nine points to gain a 17-10 lead. Wentworth then responded by winning 10 of the next 13 to tie the score at 20 late in the set. With WNE down 23-20, the visitors ran off five consecutive points to win the opening set and take a 1-0 lead in the match.
• Western New England started the second set strong as well. The visitors took a 6-1 lead and looked to be in good position to take a 2-0 lead. Wentworth, however, came back to win 14 of the next 16 points, thank in large part to three service aces by junior Chaise Kakuk (Laguna Niguel, Calif.). The visitors then made a late push to get back into it, as WNE won eight of 11 points late to cut the Leopard lead to two, but Wentworth held off the visitors and tied the match with a 25-22 victory in the second.
• The Leopards opened up an 8-4 lead early in the third following three consecutive service aces by freshman Lexi Zabloudil (London, Ohio). Following a few aces of their own, the Golden Bears came back to tie the score at 10. Wentworth, after a pair of kills by junior Riley Waggoner (Simi Valley, Calif.), took an 18-12 lead and were in position to close out the set. The Leopards  were able to maintain their lead and won a 25-18 decision in the third to take a 2-1 match lead.
• WNE opened up a 7-1 lead in the early stages of the fourth and looked as though they were on their way to force a fifth set. A pair of kills from Zabloudil capped a 6-0 run and got the home team within a point. After six of the next seven points went to the Golden Bears, Wentworth slowly cut away at the deficit and after a pair of kills by sophomore Shelby Seage (Cocoa, Fla.) and junior Vivian Goulet (North Kingstown, R.I.) held a 23-22 lead. After the two teams traded points, Seage finished things off with an ace to give the Leopards a 25-23 win in set four and a 3-1 match victory.

THE SERIES:

• This was the 25^th all-time matchup between the two teams. The Golden Bears now lead the series 15-10.

NEXT UP:

The Leopards head back on the road Wednesday evening, as they continue conference play with a road match at Gordon College. 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.