Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Keene, NH --- The WPI Volleyball went 2-0 at the Keene State tri-match on Saturday afternoon. The Engineers opened the day with a thrilling five-set victory over host Keene State, rallying for a 3-2 (26-28, 25-21, 28-26, 25-22, 17-15) triumph, before closing the day with a sweep 3-0 (25-22, 25-11, 25-18) over Western New England. WPI moves to 6-4 on the season, while Keene State stands at 3-5 and Western New England moves to 3-6.
 
Match 1 -- WPI vs. Keene State
Bridget Spees (Saint Johns, FL) paced a balanced WPI attack with 14 kills and added 16 digs and three service aces, while Olivia Hutchinson (Erie, PA) delivered 13 kills on .375 hitting and six total blocks. Niki Szavuly (Woodinville, WA) added 12 kills and two aces, and Zeala VanDamme (San Diego, CA) and Anastasia Kelnik (Fair Lawn, NJ) each chipped in eight kills. VanDamme was also a force at the net with seven blocks. Amelia Lynch (Charlottesville, VA) directed the offense with 43 assists while adding 14 digs, five blocks and two aces. Jennah DiMartino (Mission Viejo, CA) matched Spees with 16 digs.
 
Keene State received a match-high 16 kills from Marina Miller (Pleasant Hill, CA), while Colleen Fraser (Vernon, NJ) totaled 13 kills on .370 hitting. Reece Connors (Fresno, CA) finished with 10 kills, while Aiya Dottin (Boston, MA), Sarah Bartels (Fort Collins, CO) and Bella Bacon (Brookline, MA) each added nine. Ava Harkins (West Bridgewater, MA) dished out 30 assists and served four aces, while Shaunah Bracken (Elma, NY) collected a match-high 20 digs.
 
The opening set featured a back-and-forth battle from the start. WPI built a 17-12 advantage behind kills from Hutchinson and a service ace from Kylie Welcher (Los Angeles, CA), but Keene State steadily worked its way back and eventually pulled even at 22-22. The Engineers earned set point at 25-24 on a Lynch ace, but the Owls fought it off and ultimately grabbed the frame 28-26.
 
WPI responded in the second, building a 7-3 advantage before Keene State battled back to tie the frame at 11-11. The Owls eventually moved ahead 19-15, but the Engineers stormed back. WPI closed the set on a 10-2 run, with Hutchinson, VanDamme, Kelnik and Lynch all supplying kills, to secure a 25-21 victory and even the match at one set apiece.
 
The Engineers carried the momentum into another marathon third set, racing ahead 14-7 behind a strong run at the service line that included two aces apiece from Welcher and Szavuly. Keene State refused to go away, erasing the deficit and pulling even at 23-23 before eventually taking a 26-25 advantage. Szavuly answered with a kill to tie the frame, and WPI scored the final two points to escape with a 28-26 victory and a 2-1 match lead.
 
Keene State forced a deciding fifth set after taking the fourth 25-22. The Owls erased a 6-3 WPI advantage with a 7-0 run, highlighted by three Harkins service aces, and later broke a 22-22 tie with the final three points of the frame.
 
The fifth set provided one final round of drama. Keene State held a 7-5 advantage before WPI answered to pull even at 7-7 on a VanDamme kill. The Engineers later went ahead 10-7 following a Lynch ace and Szavuly kill, but the Owls rallied again and eventually reached match point at 15-14. Spees responded with a kill to keep WPI alive, and consecutive Keene State attack errors, including the match-clinching point on a block from Hutchinson and Lynch, which gave the Engineers a 17-15 victory and the five-set win.
 
Match 2 -- WPI vs. Western New England
WPI completed its day with a straight-set victory over Western New England, sweeping the Golden Bears 25-22, 25-11, 25-18.
 
Phia Fisher (Chandler, AZ) turned in a standout performance for the Engineers, putting down a match-high 10 kills without an error on 14 attempts for a .714 hitting percentage. Specs and Kelnik added seven kills apiece, with Spees also collecting 17 digs. Lynch handed out a match-high 23 assists and added eight digs, while Jennah DiMartino (Mission Viejo, CA) registered 17 digs and a match-best three service aces.
 
Western New England was paced by Charlei Henkel (Centerton, AR), who recorded nine kills and 10 digs, while Brianna Manes (Agawam, MA) added five kills. Ellie Ross (Lakewood, CO) dished out 12 assists and served two aces, and Hilarie Porcaro (Sault Ste. Marie, MI) led the Golden Bears with 18 digs.
 
The opening set was tight early before WPI began to create separation. With the Engineers leading 11-7, three straight Western New England attack errors helped extend the advantage to 14-7. The Golden Bears responded and eventually pulled within three at 17-14, but WPI maintained its cushion behind kills from Spees, VanDamme and Julia Colantuoni (Amherst, NH). A DiMartino ace pushed the margin to 23-19, and Hutchinson eventually finished the frame with a kill for the 25-22 victory.
 
WPI took control midway through the second set. Tied at 7-7, the Engineers rattled off nine consecutive points behind Lynch's serve, with Kelnik supplying three kills during the run and Lynch adding an ace. The advantage continued to grow from there, and Fisher delivered three kills down the stretch, including the set-clinching point, as WPI rolled to a 25-11 victory.
 
The Engineers closed out the sweep with another strong finish in the third. Western New England remained within a point at 11-10, but WPI answered with an 8-2 surge to build a 19-12 advantage. Fisher accounted for four kills during the run and Spees added a kill and service ace. The Golden Bears never got closer than five the rest of the way, and Fisher put down the final kill to secure the 25-18 set and the sweep.
 
WPI returns to action Tuesday at 6pm when the Engineers open NEWMAC play on the road at MIT. Western New England begins Conference of New England action Wednesday at 6pm at the University of Hartford, while Keene State returns home Thursday for a 6pm non-conference matchup with Colby-Sawyer.
 
WPI-Keene State Box Score
 
WPI-Western New England Box Score