WESTFIELD, Mass. (September 17, 2025) – The Western New England women's volleyball team saw Léa Barber notch ten first-set kills, but it would not be enough to defeat the Owls of Westfield State University on Wednesday night, as the Golden Bears fell on the road, 3-1.

Records:

• Western New England: 3-8
• Westfield State University: 3-7

How it Happened:

First Set:

• Western New England began the set with the first three points to jump out to an early lead. Charlei Henkel started the night with a service ace, while Léa Barber picked up back-to-back kills to give the Golden Bears a 3-0 advantage. Barber tallied six kills on the first eight points and finished with ten in the set.
• With WNE leading 12-9, Westfield State responded with six straight points, turning the deficit into a 15-12 lead. The Owls extended their run, winning ten of the next 12 points for their largest lead at 19-14, forcing a WNE timeout.
• The Golden Bears tried to rally after leading early, but a kill from Westfield's Lauren Carnes closed out a 25-20 opening-set victory. WNE recorded 14 kills, including ten from Barber, but hit just .042 with 12 attacking errors. Westfield added four service aces in the set to take a 1-0 match lead.

Second Set:

• Westfield opened with two quick points, but WNE capitalized on three Owl errors and a four-point run to lead 4-2. The Golden Bears added two more four-point runs early, including a Henkel kill, building a 10-8 edge.

·      WNE led by as many as six at 18-12, but Westfield stormed back, scoring nine of ten points to go up 21-19. The Golden Bears tied it at 21 on a Barber kill and an Abby Thomas ace.
·      Westfield quickly finished the set with four straight points, taking it 25-21 for a 2-0 lead. The Owls hit .156 with 14 kills in the frame.
Third Set:

• The Owls jumped ahead 5-1, but WNE answered with kills from Morgan Bonin and Henkel. After tying the set at 7, Westfield won six of the next seven points to take a 13-8 lead.
• Trailing 19-13, WNE found a spark behind Bonin's serving, winning five straight to close within 19-18. The Owls reached match point at 24-20, but the Golden Bears battled back.
• WNE earned the set's final six points, highlighted by two blocks from Rachel Critz and Barber, before Critz sealed the set with a kill, 26-24, trimming the deficit to 2-1.

Fourth Set:

• A back-and-forth start saw WNE go up 7-3 behind four kills (two each from Critz and Barber) and a pair of Barber aces. Westfield answered with six straight and seven of eight points to lead 10-8.
• The Owls pulled away late, winning six of seven points to go up 17-13. WNE cut it to 18-15, but Westfield responded with a five-point run for a 23-15 lead.
• Westfield finished the match with kills from Carnes to claim the set 25-18 and a 3-1 match victory.

Inside the Lines:

• Western New England hit .088 for the match, recording 45 kills, led by Barber's 17 on 62 attacks. She also added 14 digs and two blocks.
• The Golden Bears tallied a season-high 22 block assists, paced by Brianna Manes with six. Critz added five.
• Deanna Baez registered 20 assists and four digs.
• Westfield's Emily Washkalavitch led the Owls with 14 kills and a .191 hitting percentage.
• The Owls defeated WNE for the first time since 2021. Five of the last six meetings between the teams have gone at least four sets.

Up Next on the Schedule:

• Western New England continues on the road, facing Mount Saint Mary College (N.Y.) in a tri-match hosted by the University of Southern Maine. First serve is set for 2:00 PM.