Women's Volleyball Splits Pair of Matches to Finish a 2-1 Weekend

HOBOKEN, N.J. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team went 1-1 on the day to finish 2-1 at the Castle Point Challenge. The Leopards fell to Macalester, 301, before finishing the weekend with a 3-0 sweep over William Paterson.

MATCH ONE:  Macalester 3, Wentworth 1
RECORDS:

• Macalester (8-4)
• Wentworth (5-4)

WENTWORTH STAT LEADERS:

• Kills – Ema Thompson, 13; Riley Waggoner, 12; Helen Barthe 11
• Assists – Ashley Cao, 22; Lexi Zabloudil, 20
• Aces – Helen Barthe, 1; Megan Davies, 1; Peyton Tague, 1
• Digs – Peyton Tague, 18; Helen Barthe, 13; Lexi Zabloudil, 12; Ema Thomson, 10
• Blocks – Riley Schoonmaker, 2; Riley Schoonmaker, 2

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Wentworth jumped out to a 5-2 lead after a Macalester ball handling error before the Scots went on a 6-2 run and took an 8-7 lead. The Leopards reclaimed the lead at 10-9 on a senior Riley Waggoner (Simi Valley, Calif.) kill. Waggoner put a kill to break a 17-all tie down before the Scots jumped ahead, 19-18. The teams traded points with sophomores Ashley Cao (Morrisville, N.C.) and Ema Thompson (Lewiston, Idaho) each recording kills to give the Black & Gold a 23-21 lead. A kill from Thompson gave Wentworth set point at 24-22, however, Macalester used three straight points to take a 25-24 lead. Two Scots attack errors and a kill from sophomore Helen Barthe (Blythewood, S.C.) gave the Leopards a 1-0 lead with a 27-25 win.
• After falling behind 4-0 to start the second set, Wentworth scored six straight points to take a6-4 lead. The lead was short-lived, however, as Macalester responded with four straight to take an 8-6 lead. Wentworth took an 11-10 lead on a kill from senior Peyton Tague (The Woodlands, Texas) and forced three ties at 11-all, 12-all, and 13-all. The set was all Scots from there, as they scored 11 straight points and closed out the set on a 12-1 run to take a 25-14 win.
• Macalester opened the third set with a 10-6 lead. A kill from sophomore Abby Maher (North Granby, Conn.) and an ace from Tague narrowed the gap to two while a ball handling error brought the Black & Gold within one at 10-9. Leading 15-12, the Scots used a 5-1 run to extend their lead to 20-13 and took a 2-1 lead with a 25-19 win.
• A tightly contested fourth set saw a total of 15 ties and six lead changes as Macalester's largest lead early on came when the Scots opened the set with two straight points. Trailing 18-17, Waggoner recorded a kill, which tied the set at 18-all. A service error gave Macalester a 19-18 lead, a lead it would not relinquish, taking the set, 25-21, and winning the match, 3-1.

MATCH TWO:  Wentworth 3, William Paterson 0
RECORDS:

• Wentworth (6-4)
• William Paterson (4-5)

WENTWORTH STAT LEADERS:

• Kills – Riley Schoonmaker, 8; Ema Thompson, 7; Riley Waggoner, 6
• Assists – Lexi Zabloudil, 14; Ashley Cao, 13
• Aces – Megan Davies, 6; Lexi Zabloudil, 4
• Digs – Peyton Tague, 16; Helen Barthe, 9
• Blocks – Riley Waggoner, 1, Ashley Cao, 1; Abby Maher, 1; Riley Schoonmaker, 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• With the score tied at -all in the opening set, Wentworth went on a 9-1 run and took a 12-4 lead after a kill from Thompson. The Leopards, who hit .380 in the set, extended their lead to 20-9 after a service error. William Paterson scored the next three points to make it 20-12, but the Black & Gold rolled off the next five points, with two coming by way of junior Megan Davies (Chandler, Ariz.) aces, and took a 1-0 lead with a 25-12 win.
• After the Pioneers opened the second set with a point off a Wentworth error, the Leopards scored the next seven points, with two coming by way of sophomore Lexi Zabloudil (London, Ohio) aces. The Leopards led, 14-8, after a kill from Barthe before William Paterson pulled back within four at 17-13. A kill from Waggoner started a run of five straight points which gave Wentworth a 22-13 after a Cao kill and the Leopards took a 2-0 lead with a 25-16 win.
• Wentworth led the third set, 5-3, after an ace from Davies but the Pioneers rolled off the next four points and took a 7-5 lead. The Leopards bounced back and took a 10-8 lead on an ace from Thompson but William Paterson reclaimed the lead at 13-12 and led 16-13 after a Wentworth attack error. The Black & Gold went on a 9-1 run, which was capped off by an ace from Cao, to take a 22-17 lead. The Pioneers came back to within three at 23-20 but Wentworth completed the sweep with a 25-21 win.

THE SERIES:

• Wentworth faced both teams for the first time in program history today.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth opens Commonwealth Coast Conference play at home on Tuesday against the University of New England.

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