Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Wellesley, MA --- WPI earned a hard-fought 3-1 NEWMAC victory over Wellesley on Tuesday evening, taking the first two sets before closing out the match in four. The Engineers prevailed 25-20, 25-21, 21-25, 25-21 to improve to 10-11 overall and 3-5 in conference play, while the Blue fell to 12-6 (4-4 NEWMAC).
 
The win carried a bit of history, as it marked just the fourth time in 41 meetings that WPI has defeated the Blue.  However, the Crimson and Gray have now won three of the last five matchups against Wellesley.
 
Olivia Hutchinson (Erie, PA) paced the Crimson and Gray with 16 kills while hitting .517, committing just one error on 29 attempts. Bridget Spees (Saint Johns, FL) added six kills, a team-high 15 digs and five service aces, while Anastasia Kelnik (Fair Lawn, NJ) also recorded five aces and contributed seven kills. Zeala VanDamme (San Diego, CA) contributed nine kills while hitting .353 and led WPI with eight total blocks. Amelia Lynch (Charlottesville, VA) dished out 19 assists, while Liz Higday (Chevy Chase, MD) added 14 assists.
 
Evelyn Hill (Rocklin, CA) led Wellesley with 20 kills on 44 attempts, hitting .386, while Else Kunze-Hoeg (Eagan, MN) recorded 38 assists, 11 digs and two service aces. Delia Noel (Telluride, CO) added 14 kills, and Erica Lin (Hillsborough, CA) finished with a match-high 24 digs.
 
WPI jumped out to an early lead in the opening set, using a six-point run to turn a 5-3 advantage into an 11-3 cushion. VanDamme and Niki Szavuly (Woodinville, WA) each recorded kills during the stretch, while the Engineers also capitalized on Wellesley attack errors and a service ace from Higday. WPI continued to control the set, building its lead to 17-4 before the Blue began to rally. Wellesley scored seven straight points and later pulled within 21-17, but Hutchinson and Szavuly answered with kills to help steady the Engineers. VanDamme finished the set with a kill, giving WPI the 25-20 win. The Engineers recorded 11 kills against just two errors in the set, hitting .273.
 
The second set was more closely contested, with the teams trading points through the opening stages. Wellesley briefly moved ahead 7-6, but WPI responded to tie the score at 7-7 and later used kills from Kelnik and Hutchinson, along with an ace from Kelnik, to establish a 13-10 lead. The Engineers maintained a narrow advantage and moved ahead 17-13 on a Kelnik kill. Wellesley cut the deficit to 17-16, but WPI answered with a block by Szavuly and VanDamme and a kill by Spees to regain some breathing room. After the Blue closed within 21-18, Hutchinson's kill and a Wellesley attack error pushed the lead to 22-18. Spees delivered a kill and an ace late in the set before Hutchinson ended it with another kill, securing a 25-21 victory and a 2-0 match lead. WPI hit .250 with 12 kills in the set.
 
Wellesley responded in the third set, turning a 3-3 tie into a 7-4 lead before WPI rallied to pull even at 10-10. The teams continued to trade points, and Hutchinson recorded consecutive kills to help the Engineers tie the score at 18-18. Wellesley answered with a kill from Emily Goldstein (Houston, TX), but Kelnik's kill brought WPI back even at 19-19. The Blue then gained separation behind a Hill kill and a service ace from Kunze-Hoeg, followed by kills from Logan Wilson (Woodside, CA) and Hill to build a 24-21 advantage. Hill closed out the set with another kill, giving Wellesley a 25-21 win and cutting WPI's match lead to 2-1. Wellesley hit .400 with 18 kills in the set.
 
The fourth set opened with Wellesley taking a 3-0 lead, but WPI fought back and eventually pulled even at 7-7. The teams traded points before Wellesley built a 13-9 advantage and later led 18-15. The Engineers answered with a decisive four-point run, featuring a kill by Szavuly, two Wellesley attack errors and a block by Lynch and Hutchinson to move ahead 22-18. Wellesley cut the deficit to 22-20, but Hutchinson's kill and another Blue attack error put WPI within a point of the match. After Wellesley answered once more, VanDamme finished the set with a kill to secure the 25-21 win and the match.
 
The Engineers finished with 45 kills, 14 service aces and 12 total blocks, compared with Wellesley's 57 kills, eight aces and seven total blocks. WPI hit .234 for the match, while the Blue finished at .197.
 
WPI heads to Maine for a pair of matches, visiting Bowdoin on Friday, October 23, at 6pm before traveling to Colby for a noon matchup on Saturday, October 24. Wellesley returns to action on Thursday, October 22, hosting Amherst at 7pm.