Lasell Outlasts Women's Volleyball

NEWTON, Mass. – Three Wentworth Institute of Technology student-athletes recorded double figures in kills, however the Lasell University women's volleyball team outlasted the Leopards, 3-2, in non-conference action Wednesday night.

With the win the Lasers improve to 8-0 while Wentworth falls to 7-3.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A pair of Ava Rocchio kills helped Wentworth jump out to a 5-2 lead to open the first set and, leading 7-5, the Leopards scored five straight points to take a 12-5 lead. Elena Davenport had a pair of kills during the run. Lasell pulled to within a pair at 15-13 before Kate McLane put down two kills and Rocchio added another to increase the lead to 18-13. The Leopards led, 22-17, and had set point at 24-20 before the Lasers scored five straight points to take a 25-24 lead. A kill from McLane staved off set point, however, a service error gave the hosts a 26-25 lead. McLane recorded another kill and back-to-back kills from Emma Sanders gave the Black & Gold a 1-0 lead with a 28-26 win.
• The second set saw four ties in the early going, with Wentworth coming back from a 10-7 deficit to tie the set at 10-all on a block by Davenport and Riley Schoonmaker. After a Davenport kill made it 17-15, the Lasers scored the next four points to take a 21-15 lead and eventually evened the match with a 25-18 win.
• Scoring the first four points of the third set, the Leopards took a 5-1 lead before Lasell forced a pair of ties, including at 7-all. A 5-1 spurt – with three kills coming from Davenport – gave Wentworth a 12-8 lead, which swelled to 16-10 after a McLane kill. Wentworth held a 20-14 lead before the hosts scored three straight points to pull within three at 20-17. However, that would be as close as the set would be as a 5-1 run by the Black & Gold – capped off by a kill from Olivia Vaughn – gave Wentworth a 2-1 lead with a 25-18 win.
• The fourth set was all Lasell from the start, as the Lasers raced out to a 10-1 lead before an Ella Stadtherr kill stopped a 7-0 run. Wentworth crept back into the set, eventually pulling to within five (15-10) on a Kate Koliopoulos ace. The Leopards came within four at 20-16 after a Rocchio kill, however, the Lasers forced a fifth set with a 25-17 win.
• Lasell opened the fifth set on a 7-1 run and after a pair of errors made it 7-3, the Lasers scored six straight points to make it 13-3. A McLane kill and a service error, sandwiched around a Laser kill, made it 14-5 and Davenport recorded a kill to trim the lead to 14-6 but Lasell prevailed, 15-6.
• Davenport led the way with 13 kills while McLane had 12 kills and three blocks. Rocchio had 11 kills and six blocks. Schoonmaker hit .615 (8-0-13) and had five blocks on the night. Vaughn had 45 helpers and Amanda Zweifler had 15 digs.

THE SERIES:

• Tonight was the 29th all-time meeting between the two teams. Four of the last five meetings have gone five sets.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth is at Gwynedd Mercy on Friday night.

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