Women's Volleyball Hands Gordon First CCC Loss

BOSTON, Mass. – The Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team handed the Fighting Scots of Gordon their first Commonwealth Coast Conference defeat backed by ten kills from freshman Riley Schoonmaker (Montgomery, N.Y.). The Leopards swept Gordon in fashion on Wednesday night.

RECORDS:

• Wentworth (11-8, 4-1 CCC)
• Gordon (9-12, 3-1 CCC)

WENTWORTH STAT LEADERS:

• Kills – Riley Schoonmaker, 10; Riley Waggoner, 8; Ashley Cao, 8
• Assists – Lexi Zabloudil, 21; Ashley Cao, 14
• Aces – Sydney Brooke, 3; Helen Barthe, 3; Ashley Cao, 3
• Digs – Ema Thompson, 6; Helen Barthe, 5; Sydney Brooke, 4
• Blocks – Riley Schoonmaker, 1

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The first set started in a strong statement as senior Riley Waggoner (Simi Valley, Calif.) got the Leopards ahead early with a kill. After an even score later in the set, sophomore Ema Thompson (Lewiston, Idaho) gave the Leopards a 5-4 advantage. A pair of kills from Schoonmaker gave the Leopards some separation with a 10-5 lead. Another kill by Schoonmaker was followed with kills from Waggoner and sophomore Helen Barthe (Blythewood, S.C.) to hold the Leopards lead at 15-11. Points became closer to come by towards the end of the set but Schoonmaker, Waggoner, Thompson, sophomore Abby Maher (North Granby, Conn.), and sophomore Ashley Cao (Morrisville, N.C.) picked up clutch kills to earn the Leopards a 25-23 win and a 1-0 lead.
• The Fighting Scots got off to a 2-0 lead early in the second set until a kill from Barthe slowed their roll. The Fighting Scots managed to keep a narrow lead in the early portions of the set but two kills each from Cao and Barthe along with others from Thompson and Schoonmaker tied the score at 15-15. Gordon gained a 19-15 lead until a kill from Barthe slowed their momentum. Two kills from Waggoner and others from Thompson, Cao, and Maher brought the Leopards back to overtake Gordon's former lead. Wentworth would clinch a 25-22 win and a commanding 2-0 match lead.
• The Leopards had an early 2-0 lead in the third set off of errors and a kill from Cao put Wentworth up 3-1. Two kills by Schoonmaker sandwiched a kill for Gordon but paced the Leopards lead to 8-4. Kills from Maher, Barthe, Waggoner, Cao, and Thompson extended Wentworth's advantage to 16-9. A kill from sophomore Lexi Zabloudil (London, Ohio) caught the Fighting Scots by surprise and gave the Leopards a 17-12 lead. Waggoner and Thompson each notched two more kills in what would end as a 25-20 win and a 3-0 sweep for Wentworth. Five Leopards ended the match with more than seven kills.

THE SERIES:

• Today was the 26th meeting between the two teams. Winners of the last four of six matches, Gordon leads the all-time series 18-8.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth hosts Curry on Tuesday night in a Commonwealth Coast Conference match.

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