Danbury, CT --- The WPI volleyball team dropped a 3-0 road match on Saturday at Western Connecticut, falling 25-19, 25-21, and 30-28 in three sets. The loss dips the Engineers to 5-5 overall, while the Wolves improve to 7-5 on the season.
 
For WPI, Zeala VanDamme (San Diego, CA) led the Engineers with six kills, hitting .417. Fiona Gillis (Manchester, NH) added five kills, while Lily Eldridge (Danvers, MA) contributed across the board, finishing with eight assists, 10 digs, and a block. Defensively, Victoria Escuer (Caracas, Venezuela) recorded a team-high 23 digs, and Alana Harris (Lowell, MA) and Preslie Jerebker (Denver, CO) also reached double digits in digs with 10 each.
 
For WestConn, Helen Megson (Lebanon, CT) and Sydney Slupatchuk (New Milford, CT) each contributed match-highs of 10 kills. Krysti McDonald (Fishkill, NY) added seven kills, while Olivia Monteleone (Cold Spring, NY) set the pace with 35 assists, and Jersey Jones (Middletown, NY) notched a team-best 21 digs. Delia Clouden (Newton, CT) had six kills, while Ava Grace Gardner (New York, NY) added five kills and a block.
 
WestConn opened the first set with a quick 3-1 lead, but WPI rallied back to tie the score at 4-4. Both teams traded points, with neither gaining more than a two-point advantage until WestConn pulled ahead 12-10 after a service ace by Jones. The Engineers tied it again at 13-13 after a kill by Anastasia Kelnik (Fair Lawn, NJ), but the Wolves built momentum to go up 17-13. WPI continued to push back, closing the gap to 19-18 after a winner from Gillis. However, WestConn held firm, taking the set 25-19 following a kill by McDonald and a WPI attack error.
 
WPI came out strong in the second set, going up 5-1 but WestConn responded, closing the gap to 7-6 after a Slupatchuk kill. With the set tied at 10-10, the Wolves started to pull away, taking a 14-11 lead after a service ace from Jones. Despite a late push by the Engineers, highlighted by a kill from Eldridge, WestConn held on and won the set 25-21 on a Clouden winner.
 
In a marathon third set, WPI mounted a furious comeback to put the Wolves on the ropes, but couldn't get on the board, as the hosts won it 30-28. WestConn looked to be in control, jumping out to an early 9-2 lead after kills from Megson and McDonald, along with two attack errors from WPI. The Engineers fought back, closing the gap to 13-7, but WestConn, however, maintained control, extending the lead to 20-10 after a service ace.
 
WPI began its comeback, slowly chipping away, including closing the gap to 22-20 after a block by Gillis and VanDamme, followed by a kill from VanDamme. The Engineers eventually tied the set at 24-24 after a Wolves attack error, the first tie in the frame since 0-0. However, WPI couldn't set itself up for set point, as both teams traded sideouts, until back-to-back kills gave WestConn the thrilling 30-28 win.
 
WPI now begins NEWMAC play, hosting Clark on Tuesday at 6:00pm at Harrington Auditorium. WestConn is back in action at home on Wednesday, hosting St. Joseph's University Long Island at 7:00pm.