Western New England Advances to CCC Semifinals with 3-0 Win over Gordon

Golden Bears will host UNE on Thursday night with berth in CCC title game on the line

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 1, 2016) – The third-seeded Western New England University volleyball team secured a spot in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament semifinals with a 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-12) victory over sixth-seeded Gordon College this evening in the quarterfinal round at the Alumni Healthful Living Center.

Top Performers
• Freshman outside hitter Ashley Matthews (Salem, N.H.) led a balanced Western New England attack with eight kills, while also adding four digs and a pair of aces.
• Junior middle hitter Carly Skibinski (Milford, N.J.) recorded eight kills to go with four blocks (one solo).
• Senior setter Jenna Leuck (Dumont, N.J.) finished with 27 assists, eight digs, one kill and one block.

• Sophomore outside hitter Mackenzie Hinds (Higganum, Conn.) paced the Fighting Scots with a team-high seven kills.

Match Review
• Trailing 10-7 in the opening set, Western New England took the lead for good with a 5-0 run that featured a trio of Gordon attack errors. Another 5-0 run later in the frame allowed the Golden Bears to extend their advantage to seven (21-14), and they would go on to take the set by the same margin.
• The second set remained close early, with Western New England pulling ahead 12-11 on a kill by junior outside hitter Emmaline Chiodini (St. Louis, Mo.). The Golden Bears never trailed after that point and pulled away late to open up a 2-0 lead in the match.
• With sophomore Emily Woodford (Belchertown, Mass.) at the service line, Western New England raced out to an 8-0 lead in the third set and never looked back. The Golden Bears extended their advantage to ten (11-1) and eventually 12 (22-10) on their way to completing the sweep with a 13-point triumph.

Notes
• Western New England hit .183 as a team, while Gordon struggled with a -.010 hitting percentage.
• Tonight's win secures the Golden Bears a berth in the CCC semifinals for the sixth consecutive season. The victory also gives Western New England 20 wins for the first time since 2013 and eighth time in program history.
• The Golden Bears have won five consecutive matches, their second longest winning streak of the season.
• Chiodini, who was named CCC Player of the Week on Monday, posted her eighth straight 10+ dig effort with 13 tonight.
• Matthews has reached her season-high of eight kills three times during the Golden Bears' five-match winning streak. She has also totaled 10+ digs in four of those contests.

Up Next
Western New England (20-9, 7-2 CCC) will be back at the Alumni Healthful Living Center on Thursday night, when the Golden Bears host the University of New England in the CCC semifinals. Gordon's season comes to a close at 13-15 (5-4 CCC).