Worcester Polytechnic Institute

WORCESTER -- The WPI Volleyball team opened its 2026 campaign with a 3-1 (18-25, 25-20, 26-24, 25-16) setback to Bridgewater State on Tuesday evening inside Harrington Auditorium. The Engineers move to 0-1 on the season, while the Bears, the two-time defending MASCAC Tournament champions, start the year at 1-0.

Anastasia Kelnik (Fair Lawn, NJ) paced the Engineers with 10 kills and seven digs, while freshman Niki Szavuly (Woodinville, WA) made an impact in her collegiate debut with nine kills, a match-high four service aces and eight digs. Olivia Hutchinson (Erie, PA) added eight kills to go along with two aces and six digs. Amelia Lynch (Charlottesville, VA) directed the WPI attack with 18 assists while contributing three kills and three total blocks, and Liz Higday (Chevy Chase, MD) added seven assists and three aces. Bridget Spees (Saint Johns, FL) anchored the defense with a match-high 21 digs.
 
Bridgewater State, which was picked to win the MASCAC this season, was led by Lily Welch (Hanson, MA), who totaled a match-high 18 kills and 14 digs. Ava Crane (Dartmouth, MA) added 11 kills and 12 digs, while Charlotte Sullivan (Hyannis, MA) finished with eight kills on a .467 hitting percentage and six total blocks. Xin Ai Robinson (Kaiserslautern, Germany) handed out a match-high 24 assists and added two aces, while Natalie Fredriksen (Plymouth, MA) recorded 17 assists and three aces. Lilly Misay (New Bedford, MA) led the Bears with 15 digs.
 
WPI came out strong in the opening set, turning an early 4-3 edge into a 14-7 advantage. Kelnik delivered three kills during the stretch, while Hutchinson added a kill and service ace. The Engineers remained in control down the stretch before Higday rattled off three consecutive aces to push the margin to 24-16. A Bridgewater State service error eventually sealed the opening frame for WPI, 25-18.
 
The second set remained close throughout the early stages, with neither side able to create much separation. WPI pulled even at 20-20 following a Bridgewater State attack error, but the Bears responded by scoring the final five points of the frame. Welch supplied three kills during the closing run as Bridgewater State evened the match with a 25-20 victory.
 
The Engineers appeared poised to regain the advantage in a tightly contested third set. After trailing 12-9, WPI used a 10-2 run to surge ahead 19-14. Hutchinson fueled the run with two kills and a service ace, while Barry recorded a pair of kills. WPI later reached set point at 24-20 following a kill from Szavuly, but Bridgewater State fought off four consecutive set points to tie the frame at 24-all. Crane followed with a kill before Robinson closed out the Bears' six-point run with an ace for the 26-24 victory.
 
Bridgewater State carried the momentum into the fourth, using a four-point run to turn a 4-4 tie into an 8-4 advantage. WPI twice trimmed the deficit to two, including at 11-9, but the Bears gradually pulled away. After another BSU surge, Sullivan registered the final two kills of the night to close out the set, 25-16, and the match.
 
WPI returns to action on Friday, September 4 at the Brandeis Invitational, opening against host Brandeis at 5pm before taking on Wentworth and Williams on Saturday. Bridgewater State also returns to the court Friday at Smith's Bonnie May Invitational, facing host Smith before matchups with Colby-Sawyer and Worcester State on Saturday.