Golden Bears Defeat Elms 3-1 to Earn First Victory of 2018

Matthews (14 kills) & McCormack (45 assists) post career-highs

CHICOPEE, Mass. (September 11, 2018) – The Western New England University volleyball team overcame an opening set loss to earn a 3-1 (17-25, 25-20, 25-13, 25-20) victory over Elms College on Tuesday evening in non-conference action at Picknelly Arena.

Top Performers
Western New England was led by junior outside hitter Ashley Matthews (Salem, N.H.), who hit .464 with a career-high 14 kills and just one error in 28 attempts. Matthews also recorded 14 digs in the contest.

Junior middle blocker Cassandra Holmes (Ellington, Conn.) finished with 12 kills (.296), seven digs and five aces, while senior outside hitter Jenna Ferguson (Ellington, Conn.) compiled nine kills, ten digs and three aces.

Sophomore setter Jenna McCormack (Nashua, N.H.) handed out a career-high 45 assists, and freshman libero Kiana Turner (South Hadley, Mass.) led the defensive effort with a season-best 21 digs.

Elms senior outside hitter Danielle Redding (Las Vegas, Nev.) paced the Blazers with a match-high 15 kills, while sophomore setter Dakota Stewart (Victoria, Texas) posted a double-double with 28 assists and 13 digs.

Game Review
The Blazers hit a blistering .406 with 15 kills and just two errors in 32 attempts in the opening set en route to a 25-17 win.

With the second set tied 20-20, Western New England pulled ahead on a kill by Matthews and won the next four points as well to even the match.

The Golden Bears continued to roll in the third frame, as they hit a match-best .414 and cruised to a 25-13 triumph.

Western New England established an early 11-5 advantage in the fourth set and never let the Blazers get closer than three points the rest of the way, as the Golden Bears completed the 3-1 win for their first victory of the season.

Notes
• Western New England hit .237 for the match, while Elms posted a .177 attack percentage.
• Matthews leads the Golden Bears with 55 kills through eight matches this season. Ferguson and Holmes are tied for second with 41 each.

Up Next
Western New England (1-7) returns home to host Framingham State on Thursday night, while Elms (6-1) travels to UMass Dartmouth.