Gorham, ME --- The WPI Volleyball team split a pair of matches at Southern Maine on Saturday. The Engineers opened the day with a tough 3-2 loss at the hands of Western Connecticut (30-28, 24-26, 25-19, 19-25, 15-12), before rebounding to top the hosts, 3-0 (25-9, 25-20, 27-25). The split sets WPI's season mark to 10-12, while the Wolves improve to 16-6 and the Huskies dip to 7-20.
 
Match 1: Western Connecticut 3, WPI 2
WPI forced a decisive fifth set, but Western Connecticut held off a late rally to earn a 3-2 victory.
 
Olivia Hutchinson (Erie, PA) powered the Engineers with 23 kills, three aces, and six total blocks for a team-high 29 points. Fiona Gillis (Manchester, NH) added 11 kills and eight digs, while Zeala VanDamme (San Diego, CA) contributed eight kills and two blocks. Anastasia Kelnik (Fair Lawn, NJ) chipped in five kills and five total blocks. Preslie Jerebker (Denver, CO) distributed 25 assists, and Lauren Boycourt (San Diego, CA) handed out 16 assists and collected six digs. Abby Harrington (Londonderry, NH) anchored the defense with 14 digs and two aces.
 
Western Connecticut was led by Julia Stoliker (Red Hook, NY) with 19 kills, while Sydney Slupatchuk (New Milford, CT) added 10 kills and six assists. Hallie Robillard (Middletown, CT) posted 12 kills, and Maggie Ferguson (Southbury, CT) directed the offense with 44 assists and six service aces. Delia Clouden (Newtown, CT) contributed seven kills and three blocks, while Isabella Pincince (West Hartford, CT) led the Wolves' back row with 14 digs.

The opener was a marathon frame. WPI rallied from six points down to tie it at 24-24 after a kill from Hutchinson and a solo block by Amelia Lynch (Charlottesville, VA). The Engineers fought off two more set points before WestConn finally broke through with a Robillard kill and a Ferguson ace to take the set, 30-28.

WPI regrouped quickly, hitting .367 in the second to even the match. Gillis and Hutchinson fueled a late surge that turned a 22-18 deficit into a 24-23 lead. After a Wolves sideout, the Engineers clinched the set on consecutive kills from Hutchinson and Gillis for a 26-24 win to tie the match.

The Wolves struck early in the third, jumping out to a 10-4 lead behind three aces from Ferguson. WPI closed within three midway through, but WestConn maintain control down the stretch and closed out the frame, 25-19, to lead 2-1.

The Engineers answered with a dominant fourth. Trailing 12-9, WPI went on a 12-1 run behind the serving of Harrington and strong blocking from Hutchinson and Kelnik. Lynch and Gillis combined for seven kills in the set, and Hutchinson's final swing sealed a 25-19 victory to force a fifth.

The decisive set saw both teams trade points early, with WPI tying the score at 11-11 after a VanDamme kill and a Harrington ace. The Wolves responded with a late 4-1 burst, capped by kills from Slupatchuk and Stoliker, to secure the 15-12 win and the match.
 
Match 2:
WPI cruised through the first two sets against the Huskies before winning the third in extra points to salvage a split on the afternoon.
 
Bridget Spees (Saint Johns, FL) headlined the WPI attack with 11 kills on a .643 clip and four aces for a match-high 15.5 points. Middle tandem VanDamme and Olivia Hutchinson (Erie, PA) owned the net, as VanDamme finished a perfect 6-for-6 with three total blocks, while Hutchinson added five kills, three aces, and four blocks. Kelnik chipped in five kills and three blocks, while Boycourt dished out 14 assists and Jerebker supplied nine. Defensively, Taylor Simpson (Ashland, MA) posted 10 digs and an ace.

For Southern Maine, Lizzy Harbester (Plympton, MA) tallied eight kills, Mariah Eaton (West Yarmouth, MA) had six kills and three aces, and Kylee Eubanks-Hemme (Rosamond, CA) registered five kills. Taylor Joyal (Nashua, NH) added four kills, while Reese Helisek (Halifax, MA) handed out 20 assists.
 
WPI hit .389 and never trailed in the opening set, as the Huskies were held to a -.200 attack. The Engineers turned a 4-2 edge into a 15-4 advantage and only had to fight off one 3-0 run from Southern Maine to take the first frame, 20-9.
 
A tighter second set still saw a hot WPI offense, as the Engineers hit at a .440 clip. Southern Maine kept the set close, cutting the deficit to just one at 18-17, but a VanDamme winner sparked another WPI rally, this time a 5-1 run. The Huskies spoiled a pair of set points but kills from VanDamme and Spees gave the Engineers the 25-20 win and 2-0 match lead.
 
Southern Maine looked to be in control of the third set, but a late rally saw WPI earn the sweep in extra points. The Huskies led 11-5 before the Engineers came all the way back to tie at 13-13 on a Spees ace. Southern Maine pulled back ahead, however, taking a 24-21 advantage. After WPI killed three-straight set points, the Crimson and Gray pulled out the comeback, as kills from Spees and Lynch closed out the set at 27-25 and the match at 3-0.
 
WPI returns to NEWMAC play on Tuesday, traveling to Coast Guard for a 7pm start. Southern Maine is back in action on Wednesday at 7pm at Thomas College, and Western Connecticut hosts Rhode Island College on Saturday at noon.
 
WPI-Western Connecticut Box Score
 
WPI-Southern Maine Box Score