Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Waltham, MA --- Bridget Spees (Saint Johns, FL) totaled 24 kills across two matches as the WPI Volleyball team split a pair of contests Saturday at the Brandeis Invitational. The Engineers opened the day with a 3-0 sweep of Wentworth, 25-14, 25-22, 26-24, before falling to Williams in four sets, 17-25, 16-25, 25-23, 25-27. WPI moves to 1-3 on the season.
 
Match 1: WPI 3, Wentworth 0
Spees registered a match-high 13 kills on .522 hitting and added eight digs and two service aces as WPI rolled past Wentworth in straight sets. The Engineers hit .352 for the match while limiting the Leopards to a .067 attack percentage.
 
Olivia Hutchinson (Erie, PA) contributed eight kills on .429 hitting and totaled six blocks, while Zeala VanDamme (San Diego, CA) added seven kills at a .417 clip and three block assists. Niki Szavuly (Woodinville, WA) finished with six kills, six digs and a team-high three aces. Amelia Lynch (Charlottesville, VA) directed the offense with 33 assists to go along with three digs and three total blocks. Anastasia Kelnik (Fair Lawn, NJ) chipped in four kills without an error and four block assists.
 
Wentworth was led by Savannah Morford (Darien, IL) and Emma Sanders (Mount Pleasant, SC), who each recorded seven kills. Ava Rocchio (Boerne, TX) added six kills, while Olivia Vaughn (Bolingbrook, IL) handed out 19 assists and Sarah Vaness (Thornton, CO) collected a match-high 12 digs.
 
WPI seized control of the opening set with a 14-3 run that turned an early 2-2 tie into a 16-5 advantage. Spees served up two aces during the stretch, while Hutchinson, VanDamme and Kelnik helped the Engineers control play at the net. WPI hit .389 in the frame and closed it on a Spees kill for a 25-14 victory.
 
The Engineers carried the momentum into the second, building leads of 8-3 and 15-8. Wentworth fought back and eventually trimmed the margin to 22-20, but VanDamme answered with a kill. After the Leopards pulled within 23-21, Spees and Kelnik delivered kills to finish off the 25-22 win. WPI produced its best offensive set of the match in the frame, totaling 16 kills on .429 hitting.
 
WPI jumped ahead 7-1 in the third before Wentworth rallied to take a 21-18 advantage. The Engineers responded, eventually drawing even at 23-23 on a block from Kelnik and Hutchinson. After the teams traded the next two points, Hutchinson delivered a kill for a 25-24 edge and Maura Oslosky (Pittsburgh, PA) followed with a match-clinching service ace to secure the 26-24 victory and the sweep.
 
Match 2: Williams 3, WPI 1
Spees again paced the WPI attack in the nightcap, finishing with 11 kills on .310 hitting and nine digs. Julia Colantuoni (Amherst, NH) added six kills on .313 hitting and two aces, while Lynch distributed 27 assists and contributed five block assists and six digs. Jennah DiMartino (Mission Viejo, CA) anchored the back row with a match-high 19 digs while also recording two aces.
 
Williams got 11 kills on .500 hitting from Keely Campuzano (Excelsior, MN), while Clara Massey (Monrovia, CA) added seven kills on .778 hitting with six total blocks. Chidimma Obi (Richmond Heights, OH) contributed eight kills, and Kate Lane (Kentfield, CA) finished with seven. Emily Cao (Charlotte, NC) totaled 21 assists, four aces and 10 digs, while Lilly Carstens (Plano, TX) handed out 24 assists.
 
WPI held a 7-6 edge early in the opening set, but Williams used a 10-2 stretch to move in front 16-9. The Engineers pulled within four at 18-14, but the Ephs maintained control down the stretch and took the opener 25-17.
 
The Engineers raced out to a 6-3 lead in the second frame before Williams responded. The Ephs pulled even at 7-7 and later used a 5-0 run to build a 12-8 advantage. WPI remained within striking distance at 17-13, but Williams closed on an 8-3 run to take the set 25-16 and a 2-0 match lead.
 
WPI responded in the third with a dramatic comeback. Trailing 22-16 late in the frame, the Engineers battled back to within 22-21 before Williams briefly pushed its lead back to two. WPI then scored the final four points, getting kills from Szavuly, Kylie Welcher (Los Angeles, CA), Phia Fisher (Chandler, AZ) and Colantuoni along with a service ace from Abigail Malone (Groton, CT) during the closing surge to claim the set 25-23.
 
The fourth set went down to the wire. WPI overcame a 22-18 deficit with a 6-1 run, capped by consecutive kills from Spees, to earn set point at 24-23. Williams tied the frame before another Spees kill put the Engineers ahead 25-24, but the Ephs answered with the final three points, getting a kill from Campuzano and a match-ending ace from Lane to escape with a 27-25 victory.
 
WPI returns to action on Friday at 6pm when the Engineers travel to UMass Dartmouth. Wentworth is also back in action Friday, traveling to North Park for a 7:30pm match, while Williams hosts Skidmore on Tuesday at 6:30pm.
 
WPI-Wentworth Box Score
 
WPI-Williams Box Score