Worcester State Volleyball Hosts Tri-Match with Plymouth State and Conn. College

Worcester, MA- The Lancers (1-7, 0-0) opened up their home court action today with a tri-match featuring Plymouth State and Connecticut College. The Lancers would open the day with an Alumni game before taking on Plymouth State followed up by Connecticut College as they looked for a double win Saturday.

Final

Worcester State: 0

Plymouth State: 3

Final 

Worcester State: 0

Connecticut College: 3

How it Happened:

The Worcester State volleyball team showed fight and flashes of brilliance on Saturday morning, battling Plymouth State in front of the home crowd at John P. Brissette '88 Court. Despite falling 3–0 (25–13, 25–18, 25–15), the Lancers put together several strong runs and had multiple players step up with standout performances.

The opening set featured early exchanges, with first year  Reece Connors (Fresno, CA) and  sophomore Beatrice Gamboa-Estrella (Simi Valley, CA) trading kills to keep the Lancers close in the first rotations. Worcester's block came alive midway through, with senior Cassidy D'Esposito (Medford, NY) and senior Cassandra Millea (Orange, CT) teaming up for stops at the net.

Set two was the Lancers' best frame of the day, where they racked up nine kills and kept the score tight through eight ties. Connors, Millea, and Gamboa-Estrella each delivered timely kills, while first year Maggie Luke (Chelmsford, MA) set the tone with 11 assists in the set. Worcester surged late, pulling within three at 21–18, before Plymouth was able to close out.

The third set again saw Worcester string points together behind kills from Connors and Gamboa-Estrella, along with a service ace from Luke. Sophomore Katherine Crateau (North Andover, MA) anchored the back row, with 16 digs in the match, to spark transitions, but Plymouth used a late push to finish the match.

For the second set of the home tri-match, despite falling 3–0, the Lancers showcased grit, long rallies, and multiple momentum surges that kept fans on their feet. Worcester came out firing in the opening set, trading points with the Camels through ten ties in the frame. Connors and Luke sparked the attack early, combining for kills that pushed the Lancers ahead 8–6. Later in the set, Gamboa-Estrella andMillea strung together back-to-back kills to ignite a late rally, with Worcester clawing back from a six-point deficit to close the gap to 23–21 before the Camels edged out the opener.

The second set saw more Lancer resilience. Down early, Worcester roared back with a 6–0 run fueled by a service ace from sophomore Alexia Mitchell (Pawling, NY) and a pair of blocks from senior Paige Thomason (Hudson, MA). Senior Kaitlin Cueva (Tewksbury, MA) gave the offense a lift off the bench with two clutch kills, while Millea capped the surge with a powerful swing that pulled Worcester even at 14–14. Connecticut College narrowly held on, but the Lancers' defensive backbone, highlighted by Crateau's 10 digs, kept the set close.

In the third, the Lancers again rose to the occasion, forcing 16 ties in a back-and-forth battle. Junior Isabella Melo (Webster, MA) and senior Sara Carter (North Attleboro, MA) delivered key kills off the bench, while Luke distributed 15 assists and added a service ace to keep Worcester within striking distance. At 24–23, the Lancers held set point, but the Camels escaped with the final three rallies to close the match.

What's Next:

Worcester State (1-9, 0-0) is back on the road next Tuesday as they head to WPI for a 7pm meeting.