BRISTOL, R.I. – The Worcester State University Lancers went 1-2 on the road this weekend at the Roger Williams Invitational as they faced three different opponents. The Lancers started off with a 3-2 win over Emmanuel College on Friday (Sep. 30) and then fell to Johnson & Wales and Bridgewater State on Saturday (Oct. 1).
GAME ONE: Worcester State 3, Emmanuel College 2
The Lancers started the tournament out with a five-set match against the Saints and came out on top as Emily Carens (Northborough, Mass.) and Valerie Hoyle (Bridgewater, Mass.) led the team totaling 14 and 12.5 points, respectively.
Carens led the team with 11 kills and also registered one service ace, six digs, and four block assists. Hoyle led the team with a .321 attack percentage, going 9-28 in the contest.
Guiding the team in assists was freshman Katie Gagnon (Hampden, Mass.) who racked up 32. Megan Leavens (W. Boylston, Mass.) notched a Worcester State all-time record of 46 digs, while Megan Rouillard (Barrington, N.H.) followed with 23.
Worcester State fell 18-25 in the first set, and then came back to win two set to gain the 2-1 advantage. In the fourth set, Worcester State fell to the Saints by two points, but then proved to be the winners in the fifth and final set as they downed Emmanuel a striking 15-2.
GAME TWO: Johnson & Wales 3, Worcester State 0
The Lancers started their Saturday with a 3-0 (25-6, 27-25, 25-12) loss to Johnson & Wales as the Wildcats held the Lancers to a .100 attack percentage and marked a .333 themselves throughout the contest.
Worcester State's Powers led the team with five kills and a .250 attack percentage. Carens and Caleigh Davis (Acushnet, Mass.) grabbed three apiece while Hoyle led the team with a .286 attack percentage. Gagnon once again helped the team with 11 assists, and on the defensive end, Katrina Kangwijaya (Dunstable, Mass.) notched 10, while Davis had nine.
GAME THREE: Bridgewater State 3, Worcester State 2
Following a 3-2 loss to Bridgewater State in Wednesday's MASCAC contest, the Lancers once again suffered a 3-2 loss to the Bears in Saturday's final contest.
The Bears came out strong in the first two sets as they defeated the Lancers 25-11 and 25-19. Though, Worcester State gained some momentum in the third and fourth sets as they came out on top 25-22 and 25-23. The fifth set was a battle, though the Bears seized the 18-16 victory.
Worcester's Carens led the team with nine kills and a .280 attack percentage. Gagnon completed the week with 27 assists and three service aces against the Bears. Defensively, Davis marked 27 digs while Kangwijaya took 18.
The Lancers return to action on Thursday (Oct. 6) when they travel to Leicester to take on Becker College in a 7 p.m. match.