WENHAM, Mass. (October 31, 2026) – The Western New England women's volleyball team fell to Gordon College in three sets Saturday afternoon at Bennett Athletic Center. The Golden Bears opened the match with a competitive first set, taking an early 8-6 advantage before the Fighting Scots used a scoring run to take control. Gordon went on to win by set scores of 25-18, 25-16 and 25-19. Léa Barber led Western New England with 11 kills and 15 digs, while Charlei Henkel added seven kills and eight digs.

Records:

• Western New England: 6-16 (1-7 CNE)

• Gordon College: 17-7 (7-1 CNE)

How It Happened:

Set One: Gordon 25, Western New England 18

• Western New England opened the match with a kill from Léa Barber, assisted by Ellie Ross, to take a 1-0 lead. Barber recorded three of WNE's first four points on kills, while Charlei Henkel and Katie Garland followed with consecutive kills to give the Golden Bears a 5-2 advantage.

• After Gordon narrowed the deficit, the Golden Bears maintained their early lead with points off Fighting Scots attack errors. WNE held an 8-6 advantage before Gordon responded with seven consecutive points, including an ace from Annika Schmitt and two kills from Annie Zimmerman, to move ahead 13-8.

• Barber helped Western New England cut into the deficit with consecutive kills that brought the score to 11-15. Ellie Ross added a kill to make it 12-16, but Gordon answered with four straight points, extending its lead to 20-12.

• Henkel recorded a kill to bring the score to 14-21 before Garland delivered a service ace and Henkel added another kill to pull WNE within five at 17-22. Henkel later recorded another kill to make it 18-23, but Gordon claimed the final two points to secure the opening set, 25-18.

• Western New England finished the opening set with 11 kills on 42 attacks and a .167 hitting percentage. Gordon recorded 19 kills and hit .340 to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

Set Two: Gordon 25, Western New England 16

• Gordon opened the second set with five consecutive points, including two service aces from Zimmerman, before Western New England got on the scoreboard following a Gordon service error. The Golden Bears responded with two additional points to cut the deficit to 5-3, but the Fighting Scots maintained their advantage.

• After Gordon extended its lead to 10-4, WNE began to close the gap. A Gordon service error and an attack error helped the Golden Bears move within four at 10-6. Garland followed with a kill, and Laney Melvin delivered a service ace to make it 11-8.

• Barber recorded a kill to bring Western New England within three at 12-9 before Garland connected on a service ace and Henkel followed with a kill to narrow the deficit to 12-11. Gordon answered with a kill from Morgan Bruner, preventing WNE from tying the set.

• With Gordon holding a 14-12 advantage, the Fighting Scots scored four consecutive points behind the serving of Zimmerman, including two aces, to stretch their lead to 18-12. Barber responded with a kill, but Gordon continued to maintain its advantage.

• Kendra Robayo recorded a kill to make it 21-14 before Barber added two more kills down the stretch. Gordon ultimately closed the set with a kill from Haley Hutzler, taking a 25-16 victory and a 2-0 lead in the match. WNE recorded eight kills in the set, while Gordon finished with 13.

Set Three: Gordon 25, Western New England 19

• The third set opened with Gordon taking the first point on a Zimmerman service ace before Henkel answered with a kill to even the score at one. Ross followed with a kill to tie the set at two, and a Gordon service error brought the teams even again at three.

• The Golden Bears remained within reach early, tying the score at four following another Gordon service error. However, the Fighting Scots responded with six consecutive points, including three service aces from Teagan Brideweser, to establish a 10-4 advantage.

• Western New England began working back into the set with a kill from Madison Stauss, followed by a kill from Morgan Bonin. Henkel added another kill to make it 12-8, while a Gordon attack error brought WNE within three at 12-9.

• Gordon extended its lead to 18-14 before Garland recorded a kill to bring the Golden Bears within three at 18-15. After the Fighting Scots moved ahead 21-15, Bonin delivered another kill, and Barber followed with a kill and a point off a Gordon attack error to narrow the deficit to 21-18.

• Gordon answered with a kill to move ahead 22-18, but a combined block from Bonin and Ross brought Western New England within four at 23-19. The Fighting Scots claimed the final two points to take the set 25-19 and complete the three-set victory.

Inside the Lines:

• Léa Barber led Western New England with a match-high 11 kills for the Golden Bears, adding 15 digs and two assists. Barber was the only WNE player to reach double figures in kills and finished tied for the team lead in digs.

• Charlei Henkel followed with seven kills on 30 attacks, recording a .167 hitting percentage. Henkel also contributed eight digs and one assist.

• Katie Garland provided four kills on eight attempts with just one attack error, finishing with a team-best .375 hitting percentage among Golden Bears with at least eight attempts. Garland also recorded two of WNE's three service aces.

• Ellie Ross led Western New England with 13 assists while adding two kills, five digs and a block assist. Madison Stauss contributed eight assists, three digs and one kill, while Kendra Robayo added one kill and one assist.

• Evelyn Taylor finished with 14 digs and two assists, while Morgan Bonin added three kills, three digs and a block assist. Laney Melvin contributed Western New England's remaining service ace.

• As a team, Western New England finished with 29 kills, 27 assists, 57 digs and three service aces while hitting .131. Gordon recorded 43 kills, 39 assists, 61 digs and 11 service aces, finishing with a .271 hitting percentage. Haley Hutzler led the Fighting Scots with 13 kills, while Zimmerman added nine kills and six service aces.

Up Next on the Schedule:

Western New England will play its final road contest of the season on Wednesday, Nov. 4, traveling to Boston, Massachusetts, to face Suffolk University at 7 p.m.