Western New England Earns Five Set Win over Curry in CCC Opener
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Western New Eng. (3-9, 1-0 CCC) | 24 | 25 | 22 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
|
Curry (2-7, 0-1 CCC) | 26 | 15 | 25 | 10 | 13 | 2 |
Matthews leads WNE with career-high 17 kills
MILTON, Mass. (September 19, 2018) – The Western New England University volleyball team opened Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play with a 3-2 (24-26, 25-15, 22-25, 25-10, 15-13) victory over Curry College on Wednesday evening at Katz Gymnasium.
Top Performers
Junior outside hitter Ashley Matthews (Salem, N.H.) led the way for the Golden Bears, establishing a new career-high with 17 kills. Matthews also recorded ten digs and a pair of aces in the win.
Senior outside hitter Jenna Ferguson (Ellington, Conn.) totaled 12 kills,12 digs and four aces, while sophomore setter Jenna McCormack (Nashua, N.H.) distributed 41 assists and sophomore outside hitter Hailey McDonnell (Methuen, Mass.) compiled a team-high 14 digs.
Freshman outside hitter Lexi Pereira (Attleboro, Mass.) paced Curry with a team-high 17 kills. Junior setter Alexis Bell (Salem, Conn.) was also a key contributor with 29 assists and 16 digs.
Game Review
Neither team was able to build more than a three-point lead in the closely contested first set. The Golden Bears led 24-23 late, but Curry ended the frame with a 3-0 run with the help of three Western New England errors.
The Golden Bears rebounded in set two, using an early 10-2 run to establish a 12-6 advantage. They never looked back from there, cruising to a 25-15 triumph to even the match at one set apiece.
After falling 25-22 in the third frame, Western New England hit a match-best .462 with 13 kills and one error in 26 attempts during the fourth set. The Golden Bears held an early 10-3 lead and continued to pull away down the stretch.
In the decisive fifth set, Western New England led 9-6 before Curry came back to tie the frame at 11-11. The Golden Bears took the lead for good on a Curry service error and went up 13-11 on a kill by McDonnell, but the Colonels twice were able to cut their deficit to one. Following a kill by Pereira that brought Curry to within a point for the final time (14-13), McDonnell ended the match with her sixth kill.
Notes
• Matthews has recorded 10+ kills in four of Western New England's last five matches.
• The Golden Bears are now 2-1 in five set contests this season.
Up Next
Western New England (3-9, 1-0 CCC) will be on the road at the University of New England on Saturday, while Curry (2-7, 0-1 CCC) also travels to Maine to face Husson.
