Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Volleyball team (2-5, 0-0) is back in action for third and fourth games of the week as they head to the Coast Guard Academy to take on Coast Guard and Connecticut College in a tri-match Saturday. The Lancers look to return to their winning ways after two hard battles on the week, as graduate student Maeve Cadogan (Wilmington, MA) is still on the hunt to set the new career total blocks record at Worcester State.
Final
Worcester State: 0
Coast Guard: 3
Final
Worcester State: 0
Connecticut College: 3
How It Happened:
An hour push back due to arrival issues would make for an intense and exciting start for Worcester in their twofer matches on the day. Coast Guard would open match one up with a 5-1 point tally before the Lancers would begin to eat into their building lead, cutting it down to two as they began to find their rhythm. The Bears and Lancers would spend the middle of the set trading point for point with Worcester tying it up at 9-9 before grabbing the lead off kill by junior Kaitlin Cueva to claim their first lead of the set. The Bears would kick into another gear as they recorded 14 points to the Lancers four to close out the set 25-16.
The second set would again see the Bears jump out early grabbing a 12-4 lead early in the set. While Worcester would attempt to reclaim some ground, Coast Guard would be hard pressed to give up a point pushing their rally's for extended point gains to come away with the second set 25-12 victory.
In what would end up being the final set of the match Worcester would jump away from the Bears sneaking away with the four point lead early, but Coast Guard would come back and tie the game up at six. Worcester was fighting off the sweep though as they would again reclaim the lead before Coast Guard again tied it back up at nine a piece. That lead claim would give the Bears some added juice needed as they pushed their own lead to three and eventually seven points as they worked to close out the set. The Lancers would not go down quietly though, rallying back into the match before Coast Guard was able to close it out at 25-16.
Cueva would lead the team with five kills in the match while Crateau would come away with 23 digs in the first.
The second match of the day would see Worcester jump out early to a 4-2 lead in the opening action, but a few points later the Camels would claim their first lead of the game and force a back and forth start to the opening set. Midway through, Eastern Connecticut would run away with a 19-11 jump in score. Worcester would work to build their way back in, but Conn. College would hold on for the 25-18 opening set victory.
Set two would see the Camels continue their roll, opening with a 8-2 point grab. Worcester would claim two further back but Connecticut College would hold their momentum taking the second set 25-11. The third set would be a far more back and forth battle with the game settled at 6-6 midway through the set. From there the Camels would take a 10 point lead grabbing a 16-6 possession on points before wrapping up the set 25-19.
Graduate student Maeve Cadogan would end the match with five kills while Crateau would claim 16 digs in the outing.
What's Next:
The Lancers (2-7, 0-0) now have a few days off before they return to action next Thursday, matching up with Rhode Island College at 7pm on Brissette Court.