Worcester, MA --- Senior Kristen Koles (Billerica, MA) tallied a game-best 11 kills while classmate Joanne Grenier (Orange, MA) handed out 35 assists as Worcester State would earn a 3-1 triumph over Becker this evening in non-conference women's volleyball action at the Lancer Gym.
The Lancers (9-13) would easily dispatch of the visitors in the first two sets 25-11 and 25-14 before the Hawks (3-16) would win the third, 25-22. The Blue and Gold, however, would prevail in the fourth, 25-18, to clinch the match.
Worcester State was also paced by senior Juliana Tyo (Pepperell, MA) and freshman teammates Ali Remigio (Tewksbury, MA) and Alyssa Jasper (Rockland, MA) who each combined for 21 kills in the victory. Jasper finished with four digs and a pair of services as Remigio and Japer added one solo block each.
WSU sophomore Nicole Hanson (Rehoboth, MA) and first-year Jenna Schmidt (Sterling, MA) both put up nine digs apiece and second-year Vicki O'Brien (Canton, MA) finished with seven digs and four aces. Hanson also chipped in with a trio of aces.
Freshman Danielle Robbie (Bellingham, MA) led Becker with 11 digs and classmate Lauren LaVallee (Millbury, MA) handed out 11 assists. Senior Nicole Morse (Alton, NH) notched six kills.
The Lancers built up large leads in the first two sets to take a 2-0 series advantage.
The Hawks were ahead by as many as 10 in the third (17-7) before the hosts rattled off six consecutive points to trail by four (17-13). Play would resume back and forth until Worcester State pulled to within two (23-21), but Becker would take advantage of several Lancer attacking miscues to earn the 25-22 win.
The fourth set was close midway through (13-10) until the Blue and Gold used a 5-1 surge to claim an 18-11 advantage. With WSU ahead, 19-14, third-year Jenna Slomiak (Brockton, MA) helped the visitors get back into the game with three of her four service aces to get to within three points (20-17).
But Worcester State would go on a 5-1 surge to close out the set and earn the 25-18 win.
The two squads will play in tri-matches on Saturday. After the Lancers will take on hosting Framingham State at 12 PM in a key MASCAC matchup, they will play Husson at 2 o'clock. Becker will travel to Brookline, MA and play Wentworth at 1 before they face off against Newbury in an NECC affair at 3 PM.