Worcester State Battles Top-Seeded Bridgewater State in Five-Set MASCAC Semifinal Thriller

Worcester, MA- After upsetting the fourth seeded MCLA Trailblazers on Tuesday night the Worcester State Volleyball team made the trip east to the #1 seeded Bridgewater State Bears in the MASCAC Semifinals.

Final

Worcester State: 2

Bridgewater State: 3

How it Happened:

Worcester State opened the match with poise and purpose, shaking off early service miscues and responding with a wave of offensive pressure. Sophomore  Beatrice Gamboa-Estrella (Simi Valley, CA) set the tone, firing off multiple early kills, while Katherine Crateau swung momentum with a service ace to pull the Lancers within one. A mid-set surge, featuring back-to-back kills from senior Sara Carter (North Attleboro, MA)  and senior Kate Stedronsky (Sea Girt, NJ), followed by an ace from Stedronsky would push Worcester ahead 13–10. The Lancers closed strong under pressure. With the set tied at 23, Worcester delivered a composed finishing push as senior Cassidy D'Esposito (Medford, NY) buried a clutch kill for 25–24. Senior Katie Cueva (Tewksbury, MA) sealed the opener with a kill set up by Alexia Mitchell, giving Worcester a 1–0 match lead

Worcester hung tight early, highlighted by kills from D'Esposito and Gamboa-Estrella, but Bridgewater used long service runs to build separation. The Lancers continued to grind defensively, including digs from Crateau and effort plays from the entire back row, but the Bears evened the match at one set apiece.

The Lancers found themselves fighting uphill after Bridgewater opened with a heavy attack presence. Worcester still produced strong moments such as senior Paige Thomason (Hudson, MA) and Gamboa-Estrella's timely kills. Stedronsky, Cueva, and Iannacito pieced together defensive stops to halt Bears' runs but despite the effort, BSU grabbed a 2–1 match lead.

Faced with elimination, Worcester State unleashed its best volleyball of the night. After falling behind early, the Lancers authored a 6–0 surge powered by an ace from Gamboa-Estrella, a block from Cueva and Stedronsky, and a string of errors forced by steady pressure. Then came a dominating service run from senior Cassie Millea (Orange, CT), who produced two aces and four straight point-scoring plays, flipping the set in Worcester's favor. Clutch kills from D'Esposito, Gamboa-Estrella, and Thomason pushed the Lancers to a 24–19 lead. Bridgewater made a late push, but Worcester closed it out on a kill from Stedronsky, forcing a decisive fifth set.

Momentum carried into the early points, with Paige Thomason stuffing a BSU attack and Crateau adding a kill. However, Bridgewater produced a strong final run to secure the match.

With the loss, the Lancers wrap up their 2025 Volleyball season.