WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (September 18, 2026) - The Western New England University Women's Volleyball team fell to the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) in three sets Friday evening at James A. Calhoun Gymnasium. The Blue Jays earned the victory by scores of 25-14, 25-18 and 25-21, securing their first recorded win over the Golden Bears in the all-time series.
Records:
Western New England: 3-5
University of Saint Joseph: 4-5
How It Happened
Set One - USJ 25, Western New England 14
- Western New England scored the opening point on a Saint Joseph attack error, but the Blue Jays answered with four straight points to take an early 4-1 lead. Charlei Henkel helped WNE settle in with a pair of kills as the Golden Bears stayed within 6-4.
- The Golden Bears cut the deficit to 7-5 before Saint Joseph created the first major separation of the match with six consecutive points. The stretch included a Sienna Martin kill, a block, a Jetzabelle Rivera Diaz service ace and three WNE attack errors, giving the Blue Jays a 13-5 advantage.
- WNE continued to battle behind Henkel, who added three kills during a stretch that brought the Golden Bears to 10-17, but Saint Joseph responded with another surge. The Blue Jays scored six of the next eight points and moved to set point at 24-12.
- Katie Garland recorded a kill and WNE benefited from a Saint Joseph attack error to extend the set, but the Blue Jays closed the frame on the next point for the 25-14 win.
Set Two - USJ 25, Western New England 18
- Western New England again scored first and moved ahead 3-2 behind consecutive kills from Brianna Manes and Henkel. Saint Joseph responded with five straight points, however, to build a 7-3 lead.
- The Blue Jays stretched their advantage to 15-8 before the Golden Bears produced their strongest run of the set. Olivia Long started the response with a kill, while Manes followed with back-to-back kills as WNE pulled within 15-11.
- After Saint Joseph briefly interrupted the run, the Golden Bears scored three straight points. Ellie Ross and Manes combined for a block, Kendra Robayo and Henkel followed with another block, and Ross added a kill to trim the deficit to 16-14.
- Saint Joseph answered the WNE push with back-to-back kills and later extended the lead to 21-15. The Golden Bears received late kills from Henkel, Long and Garland, but the Blue Jays scored the final three points to take the second set 25-18.
Set Three - USJÂ 25, Western New England 21
- Lauren Chagnon opened the third set with a service ace, and the teams traded points throughout the early stages. Henkel's kill gave WNE a 3-2 lead before the Golden Bears later tied the frame at 5-5 and 6-6.
- Madison Stauss put Western New England ahead 6-5 with a kill, and Henkel followed shortly after with a service ace for a 7-6 advantage. Saint Joseph answered with four of the next five points and eventually pushed its lead to 11-8.
- The Golden Bears stayed within a point at 11-10 before the Blue Jays gradually created separation. Saint Joseph moved ahead 16-11 and later 22-16, putting WNE in a six-point hole late in the set.
- Western New England responded with a late push. Henkel recorded a kill and Chagnon followed with a service ace as the Golden Bears scored three straight points to close within 22-19. After Saint Joseph made it 23-19, another Henkel kill brought WNE back within three.
- The Blue Jays reached match point at 24-20, but Western New England stayed alive on a Saint Joseph setting error. Rivera Diaz then delivered the match-clinching kill to give Saint Joseph the 25-21 set victory and complete the sweep.
Key Performances:
- Henkel was at the center of several of Western New England's strongest stretches, supplying kills throughout all three sets and adding a third-set service ace. Manes helped spark WNE's second-set comeback attempt, while Ross, Robayo and Henkel contributed at the net during the Golden Bears' run that cut Saint Joseph's lead to 16-14.
- Chagnon also played a key role from the service line in the third set, opening the frame with an ace before adding another during Western New England's late rally. The Golden Bears' closest opportunity came in the final set, when they held multiple early leads and later fought back from a 22-16 deficit to get within three points.
- The result moves the all-time series to 7-1 in favor of Western New England and marks Saint Joseph's first recorded victory over the Golden Bears.
Up Next:
Western New England returns to action Saturday, September 19, when the Golden Bears travel to Keene, New Hampshire, for two matches. WNE will face WPI at 2 p.m. before taking on host Keene State College at 4 p.m.
