Box Score Wellesley, Mass. - September 30, 2017 - The Springfield College women's volleyball team was edged by Wellesley College in four sets in New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) action on Saturday at Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse.
The Blue won by the scores of 25-18, 25-20, 22-25, 25-21 and have now won eight consecutive matches to improve to 10-3 overall and 6-0 in NEWMAC play. Springfield has now lost back-to-back games for the first time this season and drops to 10-4 overall and 2-3 in conference.
Junior Jen Donnelly (Exeter, R.I.) paced the Pride with 18 kills on 38 attempts to finish with a match-high .421 attacking percentage. Donnelly also racked-up eight digs for the visitors. Sophomore libero Anagabrielle Sanchez (Caguas, Puerto Rico) totaled a match-high with 17 digs, sophomore Katie vonKampen (South Setauket, N.Y.) was credited with six aces, and Kayley Cimino (Cumberland, Maine) handed out 32 assists.
Wellesley volleyball hit .300 as a team on the strength of 22 kills from first year Lauren Gedney (Huntersville, N.C.) and 21 kills from junior Yasmine Reece (New Rochelle, N.Y.), as the Blue put down a season-high 60 kills in just four sets. Junior setter Michelle Li (Scarsdale, N.Y.) dished out a career-high 50 assists, as first year Darina Postupaka (Tinley Park, Ill.) also added eight kills for Wellesley. Junior libero Samantha Hoang (Elk Grove, Calif.) and sophomore Meghan Shoop (Cypress, Calif.) added 14 and 10 digs, respectively.
Wellesley opened the first set on a 5-0 run and never looked back, eventually jumping to a lead of 11-1 before Springfield responded to close the gap to 16-14 after a kill by
Kait Bonsignore (St. Louis, Mo.). However, the Blue countered with a 7-1 run, taking a 23-15 lead on a kill from Gedney. Springfield's 10th attacking error would later close out the set, 25-18, for the Blue.
The teams played to a 17-17 tie in the second set before Springfield rattled off back-to-back points to take a 19-17 lead. Again, the Blue would counter late in the set, scoring eight of the next nine points, to win the set 25-20. Wellesley finished the second game hitting .452 as a squad, and Reece produced five kills and a solo stuff in the surge.
The visitors got back into the match in the third game, hitting a match-best .250 to take a 25-22 win. Springfield never trailed, extending a 7-4 lead to 18-12 and eventually 21-16 on a kill from Donnelly. Wellesley closed the gap to two late, trailing 24-22 following a Springfield error, but Donnelly's sixth kill of the set gave the visitors a 25-22 triumph.
The Blue broke a 9-9 tie in the fourth set, using a 6-1 run to take a 14-10 lead following a kill from Reece. Springfield sided out with a kill by
Hannah Andres (Barnstable, Mass.), but could not slow the Blue momentum, as Wellesley would go on to lead 20-13 following a kill from Gedney and finish the match 25-21 on a kill from Reece.
Springfield will continue conference play on Tuesday evening when it makes the trip to Smith College for a 7 pm tilt.
