Golden Bear Volleyball Battles Saint Joseph's, Wins Three Sets to One

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.  (September 13, 2022) – The Western New England women's volleyball team faced the University of Saint Joseph's Blue Jays at home. The Golden Bears won the game three sets to one: winning the first two 25-5 and 25-19, lost the third 25-15, and won the fourth set 25-13.

Records:

• Western New England: 6-3
• Univ. of Saint Joseph's: 0-7

How It Happened: The Golden Bears got right after it in the first set. Taylor Geist had the first kill of the game. After a couple of exchanges, WNE went on a seven-point run, putting them up 10-2. The Blue Jays got their second kill in the set, but it was followed by one from Alissa Hawes and another from Geist. The last couple of points in the set for Saint Joseph's were both kills but came in between a series of runs for the Golden Bears totaling 11 kills in 27 total attacks for the first set, 25-5.

Set two had a lot of back-and-forth action. The Golden Bears went 4-0 to start. The Blue Jays returned with a run of six of their own, and picked up their first set lead, 6-4. Six errors in a row for Saint Joseph's cost them the lead immediately. Both teams returned kills over the net, six in total, score 14-9 with WNE still ahead. After errors both ways of the net, the Blue Jays had forced it within two points of the Golden Bears, 18-16. The end of the set played out with the Golden Bears up 22-19 before they closed it out with two kills and error the other way.

The third set was a struggle for WNE. The Blue Jays started with three straight kills, forced two errors, and had a service ace on top of another kill to put them up 6-0. A service error and an attack error gave the Golden Bears their first two of the set. Saint Joseph's added some more kills and a 10-3 lead. After the Blue Jays picked up such a big lead early, it was hard for WNE to come back. Every couple of points the Golden Bears would score, The Blue Jays returned. Errors cost WNE and set them back double digits with the set at 21-9. The Golden Bears forced a three-point run but they were shut down in set three.

Again, the Blue Jays geo out to a 4-0 lead to begin set four. The Golden Bears Rachel Critz changed the momentum with her kill down on the other set of the net. With Libero Becca Mayer serving, the Golden Bears had an eight-point run, four of them from aces. WNE now had the advantage and held it for the remainder of the set. Saint Joseph's brought it within two, 11-9, but WNE did not let up. They had another series of four and then three errors, score 15-12. Set four concluded with seven points that were all Golden Bears, the last three being two service aces from Liz Long and a kill from Hawes, ending 25-13.

Inside the Numbers:

• The Golden Bears ended the match with 40 kills, 38 assists, and 81 digs, while hitting .162 percent.
• The Blue Jays ended the match with 27 kill, 26 assists, and 66 digs, while hitting .022 percent
• Yemayma Molina led Western New England with 11 kills and two blocking assists.
• Becca Mayer contributed with 18 digs, six service aces, and four assists.
• Taylor Geist had 29 assists, 12 digs, and a blocking assist.

Up Next: The Golden Bears are back again on their home court, the Anthony S. Caprio Alumni Healthful Living this Thursday, September 10, at 7:00 P.M., where they will match up against the Westfield State Owls.