Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SPRINGFIELD, Mass.--The Western New England University women's volleyball team wrapped up its own Invitational on Saturday with victories over Elms, 25-7, 25-20, 25-6, and Smith colleges, 25-16, 18-25, 25-14, 25-11, at the Alumni Healthful Living Center. The Golden Bears, who were crowned the tournament champions the previous two years, finished in second place this season, improving to 5-2 overall.

Western Connecticut State University also won twice today to go unbeaten in three matches here, earning the 2014 Invitational title. Also this weekend, Smith went 1-2 and Elms was 0-3.

Today's action was delayed just over an hour because of slippery floors due to high humidity in the AHLC field house, but that didn't faze the Golden Bears dispatching the Blazers in three sets that lasted 46 minutes. Western New England led for the entire match.

Junior Olivia Lathrop led the way for the WNE offense with seven kills and a .438 hitting percentage while classmate Kelsey Armstrong added six and .200 totals.

But it was the Golden Bears defense that frustrated the Blazers' offense into a minus-.208 attack percentage. Freshman Alona Kornberg posted nine digs to pace WNE, which had more kills (26) than Elms had attack errors (23).

Caitlyn Larvey was a bright spot for Elms with 13 digs.

Lathrop added 10 more kills in the triumph over the Pioneers in another solid defensive effort for the Golden Bears, who held Smith to .051 hitting compared to .264 for their offense. Senior Kasey Cameron added a season-high 11 kills to top all players and freshman Carly Skibinski erupted for career bests of 10 kills and .563 hitting.

Also shining for the Golden Bears: sophomore setters Jessica Sincero (24 assists, 12 digs) and Jenna Leuck (18 assists), Kornberg (4 service aces, 15 digs) and senior Grace Kucharski (15 digs).

The Pioneers' Mei-Li Smith nearly recorded a triple-double with a team-high eight kills, match-best 19 digs and 10 assists. Julie Voorhes contributed 16 digs.

Four of the seven lead changes in the match occurred when WNE took the first set 25-16 and Smith answered in the second, 25-18. But the Golden Bears were firmly in control for the final two sets to close it out, committing just four attack errors over that span.

Senior Carolyn Hajdusek (9 kills vs Smith) and Lathrop represented WNE on the All-Invitational Team; the complete all-tournament team will be announced soon.

Western New England will travel to Keene, N.H., on Tuesday in its next outing against host Keene State, beginning at 7 p.m.