Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Volleyball team returned home for a non-conference matchup with cross-city rival Clark University. This matchup was the annual pink out game sponsored by the Rosen Cancer Awareness Fund.
The Rosen Cancer Awareness Fund was created by alumni couple Greg Rosen 86' and Pam Rosen 87', which provides robust programming that supports peer-to-peer education regarding early cancer detection.
This year, four Worcester State fall Athletics teams will be donning Pink Out t-shirts, designed with the Rosen Cancer Awareness logo, throughout select games during the first two weeks in October. Pink Out shirts will also be for sale. There will be free informational giveaways and raffle tickets at $25 each to win a scratch ticket tree that includes $500 worth of scratch-off lottery tickets, with the winner being announced at halftime of the Homecoming football game October 28. All proceeds from the raffle and sales will benefit the Rosen Cancer Awareness fund.
Final: Worcester:1 Clark:3 (16-25,19-25,25-22, 15-25)
The Lancers and Cougars started the first set by alternating points after the Cougars got off to a hot start. The Lancers were led by sophomores Cassandra Millea (Orange,CT) and Katie Cueva (Tewksbury,MA) as Millea contributed 2 points and Cueva had 2.5 as the Lancers lost the first set 25-16. In the second set, the Cougars again got off to an early lead and the Lancers answered as they stormed back to take their first lead at 14-13 midway through the second set, led by senior Maeve Cdogan (Wilmington, MA) and sophomore Cassidy D'Esposito (Medford, NY) throughout the second but ultimately fell short by a score of 25-19.
In the third set, the Lancers were the one to get out to an early lead over the Cougars, as they were up by as many as four, the Cougars rallied back to tie it midway through the set as the teams began alternating points. Junior Angela Colonis (Waterford, CT) and sophomore Kate Stedronsky (Sea Girt, NJ) were among the many contributors to the Lancers. The Lancers staved off the Cougars at the end of the set to get their first win of the evening in the score of 25-22.
After surviving the third set and keeping the match going, the Lancers looked to tie the match at two and force a do or die fifth and final set. The match started as a back and forth affair, before the Cougars pulled away in the middle of the set and never looked back.The Cougars won the fourth and final set by a score of 25- 15. Graduate student Camryn Burgio (Quincy,MA) was a key contributor for the Lancers throughout the set.
The Blue and Gold, who now sit at (6-11, 1-0) return to action this Saturday at noon when they host MASCAC rival Fitchburg State at 12pm. Clark currently sits at (11-6, 2-3) on the season.