Box Score WORCESTER -- WPI used a team effort to blank visiting Anna Maria 3-0 to open the 2015 women's volleyball campaign on Tuesday night at Harrington Auditorium.
The Engineers began their last three seasons with a victory and have taken the last two home openers under the guidance of third-year head coach Greg Poole.
Sophomore Melissa Daigle (Norfolk, MA) paced the WPI offense with 12 kills to go with a .214 hitting percentage and eight digs. Freshman Casey Hunt (Granby, CT) added nine kills and a .238 hitting percentage and six digs while junior Sam Bircsak (Acton, MA) led the Crimson and Gray with a .286 hitting percentage.
Junior Shay Feeley (Franklin, MA) doled out 14 assists followed by freshman Azita Bakhtyari (Andover, MA) with 13 of her own. Junior Cassandra Tomerlin (La Quinta, CA) chipped in with a match-best 16 digs.
Sophomore Telliah Bursie (Cheektoaga, NY) led the guests with five kills as senior Brianna Laregina (Troy, NY) and senior Jessica Goulet (Lawrence, MA) added three each for the AMCATS. Senior Samantha Parker (Athol, MA) was credited with 12 of Anna Maria's helpers while senior Brittany Jackson (Larchmont, NY) collected six digs. Freshman Amari King (Lawrence, MA) notched five digs as three others came up with four apiece.
Anna Maria jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the initial set only to have service aces by Feeley and sophomore Brooke Klepper (Miami Beach, FL) help the Engineers knot the frame at 7-7. Neither team saw more than a three point advantage the rest of the set before WPI closed it out with kills by Hunt and Bakhtyari.
The AMCATS then opened the second set with an 8-3 bulge. WPI countered with a 7-1 run to take the 10-9 lead. Following an Anna Maria timeout with the Engineers ahead 22-17, the two sides traded service miscues until an attack miscue ended the frame.
Daigle tallied a pair of aces as the Engineers took the final lead of the night early on in the third set.
WPI returns to action Saturday morning in the 2015 Worcester City Volleyball Tournament opener at 10:00am against host Becker. Anna Maria heads to the University of Scranton Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
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