Worcester, MA- The Worcester State Volleyball team (7-15, 3-1) host their final home match of the season when they took on Framingham State for the second time this season. The previous meeting was an out-of-conference affair at the start of the season that saw the Lancers come away with the 3-1 victory. This match, while not only be their conference meeting, will also serve as the teams senior night which will honor #9 Angela Colonis (Waterford, CT) and #14 Megan Bardis (Sterling, MA) for their stellar careers with the Lancers. 

Final

Worcester State: 3 

Framingham State: 2

(25-27, 25-14, 25-27, 25-23, 15-11)

How it Happened:

The match would start with a Bardis serve that would unfortunately see the Rams get the first points of the day. This would not hurt the Lancers overall as they would rally to a 10-6 lead. A significant majority of these points would come from stout defensive work from the Lancers hitters. The Rams would go on a 4-0 run to tie the score up 10-10. The next four points in the match would see no team win two times in arrow. With the match settled at 12-12 the Rams would go on a five point run. Worcester was forced to call a timout which had a positive effect getting the score tied back up again at 19-19. The Rams would rally four straight points to make the score 23-19. The Lancers would see a bounce back and take a 24-23 lead forcing the Rams take their first timeout of the period. Framingham would force the game to dueces after a 30 hit rally that went against the Lancers. The Rams would win the first set after getting the two needed points in arrow for the 27-25 win.

The Lancers after switching sides would seek to get their first point on the board. Junior Cassie Millea (Orange, CT) would go on the 10 serve streak for the Lancers jumping outout to a 10-0 lead. The Rams would use their first time out after the Lancers hit double digits. Framingham would eventually hit the 10 point mark but Worcester by this time were already at match point. The Rams would go on a four point rally and force the Lancers use their first timeout of the set but it would not be enough as Worcester would close out the set 25-14 in the second set.

The third set would find Worcester rally off four straight points and then quickly jumping out to a 13-6 lead before the Rams would have a successful block attempt that would see their bench erupt. With some back and forth action keeping everyone on their toes, Lancer kept the lead 19-13. Framingham would make a comeback and the game would be tied 20-20. A long kill attempt by junior Cassidy D'Esposito (Medford, NY) would connect and match would be tied at 22. The Rams would have the first game point advantage but the Lancers would equalize the score to make it 25-25 where they would followit up with two in arrow to make the score 27-25 to claim another extra set point victory. 

The first point of the forth set would go to the Lancers while Framingham would get to ten points first but the Lancers would equalize the score right after. Colonis would score a powerful kill attempt that would see the Lancers bench and fans raise the volume of the gym. The Rams and Lancers would be tied at 17 more than halfway through the match as both teams would use more aggressive substitution patterns looking to get certain personnel in to get kills or provide help on defensive sets. The Lancers would see the score get to 22-20 before the Rams decided to use their first timeout of the set. Framingham would get three straight points the last one would come off a Lancers error regarding the touching of the net but Worcester would bounce back and Colonis would get a kill that would give the Lancers match point advantage and make the Rams use their last timeout. The Senior and captain would force a fifth set and get the last kill of the foruth set.

The fifth and final set would see the Lancers get the first point on the board. The Lancers would carry their momentum from the last parts of the fourth set and get out to an 8-3 lead. The game was only seven points away from being won and the Lancers solidifying their position in the MASCAC postseason standing.  After the sides switched the Lancers would get ten points first but the Rams would not go quietly into the night, rallying for two points.The score would get to 13-5 before the Rams would call their second timeout which found Framingham rally back but a service error would see the Lancers win the final set 15-11. 

Worcester would end the night with 10 blocks as a team with junior Kate Stedronsky (Sea Girt, NJ) claiming six assists and a solo while first year Katherine Crateu (North Andover, MA) would record 34 digs to D'Esposito's 15 kills.

What's Next:

The Blue and Gold (6-15, 4-1) will next travel to Westfield State to matchup in their rescheduled meeting from a few weeks ago on Friday night at 7pm.