Box Score SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--Juniors Olivia Lathrop and Kelsey Armstrong led the Western New England offense with 16 and 12 kills, respectively, and sophomore setter Jessica Sincero recorded a double-double, as the Golden Bears overcame a sluggish serve-receive game to hold off visiting Johnson & Wales-R.I. in a five-set thriller at the Alumni Healthful Living Center on Wednesday evening. The Golden Bears improve to 3-1 on the season after an 18-25, 26-24, 25-23, 20-25, 15-12 non-conference win before one of the biggest women's volleyball crowds in recent team history at 603. The Wildcats fall to 0-2.

"Each player had some good and bad moments on the court tonight, but we stayed the course and proved that no one person at any point can win or lose a match," Western New England coach Bret Stothart said after the match. "This was a real team victory and it was clear that when we play together and everyone is competing with the same heart and passion, that we are at our strongest."

Sincero pumped in a match-best 31 assists and 13 digs for the Golden Bears, who hurt themselves by hitting .094 for the match and made 15 service errors and 12 reception miscues. Lathrop hit .375 on 32 swings with just four attack errors. Sophomore Jenna Leuck (11 assists) added a career-best 24 digs and senior Grace Kucharski recorded 20.

Paula Cadavid led J&W with a match-high 19 kills (.286), 18 digs and four service aces while Kaitlin Kuntz and Alyssa Drapeau had 27 and 25 digs apiece. The Wildcats didn't hit much better at a .074 clip, but kept in the match by playing good defense with 105 digs and eight team blocks.

Senior Kendra Ouimette (10 digs, 3 service aces) had arguably the key play that turned the match in WNE's favor. With sets one apiece and the Wildcats ahead 23-19 in the third, Ouimette had a tremendous one-handed dig diving deep to the right corner to keep her service game alive. Western New England would go on to win the last six points--all on her serve--to go up 2-1 in the match.

After J&W took the fourth set by five points, Western New England jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the final frame behind two kills each from Armstrong, Lathrop and senior Carolyn Hajdusek. The Wildcats eventually clawed back within 14-12, but committed a service error after a WNE timeout to seal the Golden Bears' home opening win.

Western New England will host Western Connecticut State and Elms and Smith colleges for the WNE Invitational on Friday and Saturday at the AHLC.