WORCESTER --- The WPI women's volleyball team rallied from an opening-set setback to take a 2-1 lead, but visiting Coast Guard battled back to secure a five-set NEWMAC victory Tuesday evening at Harrington Auditorium. The Bears prevailed by scores of 25-14, 24-26, 20-25, 27-25 and 15-11.
The Engineers slipped to 10-14 overall and 3-6 in conference play, while Coast Guard improved to 13-8 and 4-4 in the NEWMAC.
Anastasia Kelnik (Fair Lawn, NJ) paced WPI offensively with a team-high 13 kills on a .355 hitting percentage, while Olivia Hutchinson (Erie, PA) turned in an efficient performance with 12 kills and no attacking errors on 29 attempts for a .414 clip. Hutchinson also contributed five total blocks, including three solo stops. Zeala VanDamme (San Diego, CA) added 10 kills on a team-best .429 hitting percentage.
Defensively, Jennah DiMartino (Mission Viejo, CA) collected a team-high 24 digs, followed by Bridget Spees (Saint Johns, FL) with 20 digs, seven kills and three service aces. Abigail Malone (Groton, CT) chipped in 16 digs, while Amelia Lynch (Charlottesville, VA) and Lauren Boycourt (San Diego, CA) distributed 23 and 18 assists, respectively.
Coast Guard controlled the opening frame, using an early 5-1 advantage to establish momentum. The Bears stretched their lead to 15-9 midway through the set and closed with six of the final seven points to claim a 25-14 victory.
WPI responded with a strong offensive showing in the second set, hitting .344 with 14 kills against just three errors. The Engineers built a 12-8 advantage before Coast Guard rallied to even the score at 13-13. WPI regained control and pushed ahead 21-17, but the Bears fought back to knot the frame at 24-all. Spees delivered a timely kill to put the hosts back in front before a Coast Guard setting error sealed the 26-24 win and evened the match.
The Engineers carried that momentum into the third set, racing out to a 10-4 lead behind a balanced offensive attack and a service ace from Spees. WPI maintained its advantage throughout the frame, extending the margin to 24-18 before VanDamme delivered the set-clinching kill for a 25-20 triumph and a 2-1 match lead.
The fourth set featured a back-and-forth battle as neither side could establish lasting separation. With the score tied at 23-23, Hutchinson came through with a block to give WPI match point at 24-23. Coast Guard answered with a kill before a service error handed the Engineers another opportunity at 25-24. However, the Bears responded with three consecutive points to steal the set 27-25 and force a decisive fifth frame.
Coast Guard seized the early advantage in the finale and held off a late WPI push. Trailing 14-8, the Engineers fought off three consecutive match points, including a kill from Hutchinson, to close within 14-11. The Bears ultimately secured the 15-11 victory to complete the comeback.
Both teams finished with identical .198 hitting percentages, while WPI totaled 50 kills, 47 assists, 91 digs and six total blocks.
For Coast Guard, Corey Lemmer (San Francisco, CA) registered a match-high 20 kills, while Abigail Schweitzer (Emmaus, PA) followed with 19. Courtney Shire (Cape May, NJ) anchored the Bears' defense with a match-best 31 digs, and Ava Ahokovi (Honolulu, HI) recorded 37 assists and 18 digs.
WPI returns to NEWMAC action on Tuesday, November 3, traveling to Norton, Massachusetts, to face Wheaton at 7pm. Coast Guard has a quick turnaround, returning home to host Hartford on Wednesday, October 28, at 7pm inside Roland Hall in New London, Connecticut.
