Golden Bears defeat Chargers in five sets after falling 3-1 to Lancers

WORCESTER, Mass. (September 15, 2018) – The Western New England University volleyball team split a pair of matches with Worcester State University and Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday during a tri-match at Worcester State's Briesette Court. The Golden Bears fell to the host Lancers, 3-1 (20-25, 25-12, 25-21, 25-17), before bouncing back with a 3-2 (25-21, 18-25, 26-24, 12-25, 15-13) victory over Colby-Sawyer.

Worcester State 3, WNE 1

Top Performers
Junior outside hitter Ashley Matthews (Salem, N.H.) led the Golden Bears with team-highs in both kills (14) and digs (15), while senior outside hitter Jenna Ferguson (Ellington, Conn.) added 13 kills and the duo of junior Maria Duffy (Meriden, Conn.) and sophomore Jenna McCormack (Nashua, N.H.) combined for 46 assists.

Worcester State senior outside hitter Amari King (Lawrence, Mass.) posted a double-double with a match-high 18 kills (.500) and 12 digs.

Game Review
Western New England hit .333 in the opening set and used a late 5-0 run to fuel a 25-20 victory. The Lancers responded by racing out to a 9-1 lead in the second frame en route to a 25-12 triumph, before scoring five of the final six points in set three to turn a 20-20 tie into a 25-21 win.

The final set saw Worcester State utilize a 12-3 run midway through the frame to pull away and seal the match.  

WNE 3, Colby-Sawyer 2

Top Performers
Ferguson produced a career-best 16 kills (.324) to go with eight digs against the Chargers, while junior middle blocker Cassandra Holmes (Ellington, Conn.) chipped in with 13 kills and Duffy handed out 43 assists.

Colby-Sawyer was led by senior Courtney Murray (Quincy, Mass.), who totaled a team-high 11 kills.

Game Review
Western New England hit a match-best .375 in the opening frame and held off Colby-Sawyer late to claim a 25-21 victory. 

The Chargers posted a 9-1 run late in the second set to take control on their way to a 25-18 win to even the match, but the Golden Bears regained a 2-1 edge with a back and forth, 26-24 triumph in set three.

Needing a fourth set win to stay alive, Colby-Sawyer benefitted from eight WNE attack errors and cruised to a 25-12 win.

Playing in a fifth set for the second time in three days, the Golden Bears came away with a win this time. Western New England trailed 10-7 and 12-10, before rallying to tie the frame at 13 and eventually winning on a Ferguson service ace.

Up Next
Western New England (2-9) opens Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play on Wednesday at Curry.