Volleyball Expands Winning Streak to Six with Wins over Salve Regina and Bay Path on Saturday

NEWPORT, R.I. – The Worcester State University women's volleyball team expanded their winning streak to six on Saturday, as they defeated both Salve Regina and Bay Path at a Fall Festival Weekend tournament.

THE BASICS

September 30, 2017

Rodgers Recreation Center

Record: Worcester State (11-6)

WORCESTER STATE 3, SALVE REGINA 1

In the first match the Seahawks and Lancers were tied one set each and Salve Regina built an 18-15 advantage late in the third set. A kill from Lauren Murphy (Taunton, Mass.) brought Amari King (Lawrence, Mass.) to the service line for the Lancers. She would remain there for the next nine points, taking the 25-20 first-set win.

 The Lancers went on a 9-0 run with kills from Murphy and Emily Carens (Northborough, Mass.) as well as two Seahawk miscues, and an ace from King. Samantha Higgins (Coventry, R.I.) and Annie Donahue (Chelmsford, Mass.) stopped the bleeding for the Seahawks, but another error gave the set and a 2-1 lead to the Lancers who led for all but one point of the fourth and final set.

• King led the Lancers with a double-double of 17 kills and 12 digs, while also chipping in four service aces.
• Carerns followed King's lead with 15 kills for a team-high .394 kill percentage. Carens also punched in three digs and three blocks on the day. Murphy tallied 10 kills, while Stephanie Chapin (Hampden, Mass.) notched seven.
• Megan Leavens (Storrs, Conn.) led the defense with 19 digs.
• Allie Nolan (Melrose, Mass.) notched 44 helpers in the win.
• The Lancers generated a .281 team attack percentage in the tilt.
• Salve Regina was led by Donahue who recorded 13 kills with a .407 attack percentage. Both Higgins and Victoria Schwendeman (Glen Rock, N.J.) chipped in 11 kills apiece.

WORCESTER STATE 3, BAY PATH 0

In the second match, the Lancers and Wildcats battled in the first two sets however in the third the Wildcats could never string together more than two points in a row. Meanwhile the Lancers used a 4-0 and 7-3 run to pull away and cruise to a double digit victory and sweep of the days' competition.

• King once again led the attack with 14 kills and a .481 kill percentage.
• Carens recorded nine tips, while Murphy and Chapin punched in six apiece.
• Katrina Kangwijaya (Dunstable, Mass.) led the defense with 21 digs, while Nolan assisted the offense with 33 sets that led to points.
• The Lancers held a .255 kill percentage as a team in the second contest of the day.
• The Wildcats were held to a .084 attack, as Lauren Vallee (Bristol. Conn.) generated 15 of Bay Path's 32 points.  
• Bay Path's Joanne Nzario (Springfield, Mass.) notched a team-high 12 digs, while Lexi Cears (Agawam, Mass.) logged a team-high 20 assists.

QUICK HITS

• Worcester State's King recorded 31 kills on the day. She also added 15 digs and six service aces across both matches.
• Salve Regina senior Samantha Salwa (Ellington, Conn.) notched 77 assists on the afternoon while chipping in 13 digs and three aces.
• Collectively the Lancers swung at a .268 clip as a team on the day, nearly 66% better than the Seahawks who swung at a .180 percentage. Bay Path hit for a .079 percentage overall.

UP NEXT

Worcester State returns home on Thursday (Oct. 5) when they host Becker in a 7 p.m. tilt.