Women's Volleyball Earns First-Ever Win Against Endicott

BOSTON, Mass. – On a historic night in Tansey Gym, the Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team (16-6, 4-0 CCC) kept their conference record unblemished, defeating CCC rival Endicott (9-10, 4-1 CCC) in four sets to hand the Gulls their first conference loss of the season.

The Leopards win marked the first-ever against the Gulls in 26 total meetings dating back to 1999.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After the Gulls set out to a 5-1 lead to open the first set, a kill by junior Ema Thompson (Lewiston, Idaho) helped the Leopards claw back and cut the deficit to 5-4. Endicott continued to hold their lead, working the score to 13-6, until a kill by sophomore Riley Schoonmaker (Montgomery, N.Y.) marked a 13-7 score. A kill by graduate student Riley Waggoner (Simi Valley, Calif.) marked a 14-9 deficit before Endicott took a 19-13 lead. However, Wentworth scored eight unanswered points, two on kills by Thompson, to take a 21-19 edge before two more kills by Thompson kept the Leopards' lead intact and gave the hosts a 25-22 set win.
• Endicott pushed the lead to 7-2 to start the second set and eventually continued it to 10-3 before two kills by Schoonmaker helped cut the deficit to 11-6. Endicott pushed their lead again, this time to 18-7, before two kills by freshman Kate McLane (Columbus, Ohio) eventually cut the deficit to 21-14. A slew of errors plagued the Gulls but they still held on for a 25-21 set win, tying the match at one-all.
• Tied at two apiece to start the third set, a kill by freshman Emma Sanders (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) helped Wentworth set out to a 5-2 lead. Another kill by Sanders continued the lead to 7-4 before a Thompson kill marked an 8-5 score. Wentworth went on another extended run, outscoring the Gulls 9-1, to take a 20-8 lead, thanks to kills by Waggoner, Sanders, and Thompson, along with two service aces by McLane. The Gulls fought back, but two kills by Thompson and another by McLane ultimately helped the Leopards grab a 25-18 set win and a 2-1 match lead.
• Kills by Waggoner and Thompson helped the Leopards grab a 4-2 lead to start the fourth set. A kill by McLane helped continue the lead to 9-6 before another McLane kill marked a 10-8 score. Two kills by Waggoner continued the lead to 15-11 before kills by Waggoner and Sanders pushed the lead to 17-13. A kill by McLane kept Wentworth's narrow lead at 21-19 before kills by McLane, Thompson, and Sanders capped off a 25-23 set win for the Leopards and a 3-1 match win.

NOTEWORTHY:

• Wentworth pushed their win streak to eight, with their only lost set coming tonight against the Gulls.
• Freshman Olivia Vaughn (Bolingbrook, Ill.) matched her all-time record for assists in a four-set match with 44 tonight, setting the record previously against Lasell on September 5.
• Thompson set a new career-high in kills with 16.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth travels to Roger Williams on Saturday.

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