Women’s Volleyball Comes from Behind to Defeat Salve Regina in Five Sets

BOSTON, Mass. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team improved to 5-1 in CCC play, coming back from a two sets to one deficit to earn a 3-2 victory over Salve Regina University Wednesday evening.

RECORDS

• Wentworth (13-8, 5-1 CCC)
• Salve Regina (9-7, 3-2 CCC)

WENTWORTH STAT LEADERS:

• Kills – Viviann Goulet, 13; Ashley Cao, 9; Helen Barthe, 8, Riley Waggoner, 6
• Assists – Ashley Cao, 20; Lexi Zabloudil, 17; Megan Davies, 5
• Digs – Ashley Cao, 16; Megan Davies, 13; Lexi Zabloudil, 11, Viviann Goulet, 8
• Blocks – Riley Waggoner, 6; Viviann Goulet, 4; Ashley Cao, 4

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Leopards got off to a slow start, as Salve Regina took control early in the first with a 6-1 lead. Following kills from junior Riley Waggoner (Simi Valley, Calif.) and freshman Abby Maher (North Granby, Conn.), the Seahawks began to pull away. The visitors won eight of the next nine points to take command of the set, going on to build a double-digit lead and eventually win the first set by a 25-11 score.
• Wentworth turned it around at the start of the second, as the Leopards got kills from four different players in the early stages of the second set to build an 11-3 advantage. The Seahawks fought their way back into the set however, winning six of the next nine to cut the Leopard lead down to five. After Wentworth built the lead back up to eight at 17-9, Salve Regina went on a 6-1 run to pull within three points. However, a pair of kills from freshman Ashley Cao (Morrisville, N.C.) as well as a kill from senior Devin Neal (Loveland, Ohio) and a service ace from junior Chaise Kakuk (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) put the set out of reach, as the home team took a 25-18 decision to draw even at one set apiece.
• Salve Regina came out strong to kick off the third set, opening up an 8-1 lead. Thanks to a pair of kills and an ace from junior Viviann Goulet (North Kingstown, R.I.), the Leopards pulled within a point at 11-10. After getting kills from multiple players, including two from Maher, Wentworth opened up a three point lead. But the Seahawks responded with five consecutive points as part of an 11-3 run to take the third set 25-20.
• Following three straight points from the Leopards, the home team took an early 7-6 lead in the fourth. The teams traded points throughout the set with neither able to build a significant lead. After a service ace from junior Peyton Tague (The Woodlands, Texas), Salve Regina rolled off five of six points to take a 16-13 lead. Still facing a three point deficit, Wentworth got kills from Waggoner and Maher to get within one. Cao followed with a kill and Goulet picked up two of her team-high 13 to give the Leopards the lead late in the set. The Seahawks came back to tie the set at 23, but the Leopards picked up the two points they needed to force a fifth and final set, winning 25-23 in the fourth.
• Goulet picked up three kills in a row to give Wentworth a 3-1 lead in the final set, but Salve Regina fought back to draw even at 5-5. Kills by Waggoner and Cao helped give the home team an 8-5 lead, but once again the Seahawks were able to tie things up. After the teams faced a 12-12 tie, sophomore Megan Davies (Chandler, Ariz.) picked up a key service ace to help put the Leopards ahead for good, as they took the final three points of the set to win 15-12 and pick up a 3-2 victory in the match.

NEXT UP:

• The Leopards are right back at it tomorrow, Oct. 14, when they travel to Salem, Mass. to take on Salem State University at 7:00 p.m

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