BOSTON, Mass. – #2 Wentworth Institute of Technology claimed its first Commonwealth Coast Conference Volleyball Championship in program history with a 3-0 win over #4 Roger Williams University Saturday afternoon in the CCC Championship.
Lara LoIacono (Lynbrook, N.Y.) began the match with a kill to the right side of the court.
Maddie Neuberger (Remsenburg, N.Y.) and
Katherine Pickard (St. Petersburg, Fla.) later combined for a block to give the Hawks a 3-1 lead. The Hawks kept a slight lead for most of the first set before a kill by Samantha Lassiter (Rogers, Ark.) tied the match at eight apiece. A kill by Mary Zlotosch (Durham, N.H.) helped give the Leopards their first lead of the set, while a service ace by Katie Clouse (Hudson Falls, N.Y.) extended Wentworth's lead to three (11-8). A misplayed ball by RWU put the Hawks in a 9-13 hole, forcing the team to call a timeout.
Wentworth maintained control for the next few points, with Zlotosch notching a service ace for an 18-13 Leopard lead and causing the Hawks to call its second timeout. After the break, RWU would score the next three points, leading Wentworth to call a timeout of its own. Pickard helped bring the Hawks back within one with a service ace (18-19) but the deficit kept hovering between one and two points. Wentworth would not relinquish the advantage, as Leah Rogoz (Woodridge, Ill.) punctuated the opening set win with a service ace for the 25-20 victory.
A kill for Wentworth's Lassiter began the second set in the Leopards' favor before
Molly Quilty (Duxbury, Mass.) tied things up with a kill just inside the back line. However, Wentworth quickly extended the lead to three (4-1) and continued to hold RWU at arm's length. Zlotosch dropped in a kill while a Hawk attack error gave the Leopards their largest lead of the set, an 11-6 advantage leading to an RWU timeout. Rogoz later served up back-to-back aces to put Wentworth up 16-7. RWU trailed 18-7 but managed to come away with five straight points, capped off by a block by LoIacono and Neuberger to pull within five (13-18) and force a Leopard timeout. The Hawks then scored three more points to make it a 15-18 game. Yet the Leopards used a 6-2 run to make it 23-17 and get some breathing room. After an RWU attack error gave Wentworth point game, Claire Quick (Mission Viejo, Calif.) put the set away with a service ace in between two Hawks for the 25-18 win.
A kill by Zlotosch and a little miscommunication off of a serve quickly gave Wentworth a 2-0 lead with a double touch by the Hawks later putting Wentworth up 5-1. Roger Williams would rally, with Pickard bringing RWU within one (7-6) and Neuberger serving up an ace to tie things up at eight apiece. The two sides traded points back and forth with Wentworth holding on to a slight 1-2 point edge. A furious rally spurred by clutch digging by the Leopards ended with a double touch by the Hawks, giving Wentworth a 16-13 lead and causing RWU to call timeout. The Leopards came out of the break hot, with three straight points for a 19-13 lead. Quilty managed to help stop a Leopard run with a kill to make it 16-23, with RWU scoring two more points to pull within five. However, Wentworth pulled off the championship point when Quick got the match-winning kill for a 25-19 win.
Rogoz led Wentworth with a match-high 16 kills to go along with eight digs. Quick added 11 kills and 12 digs, while Clouse and Maddy Tomastik (Portland, Ore.) handed out 21 and 13 assists, respectively.
Pickard led Roger Williams with seven kills and four block assists, with
Grace Kenningham (Houston, Texas) adding six kills and two block assists.
Julia Fields (Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.) notched 21 assists and 13 digs, with Neuberger going for three kills, four block assists, and two service aces.
Wentworth (25-4) will find out its NCAA Tournament opponent on Monday, while Roger Williams University ends its season at 17-13.
