Box Score WORCESTER, Mass. – The Corsairs waged an exciting battle with Worcester State, trading points in a five-set thriller before narrowly dropping the fifth set as the Lancers prevailed 3-2 on Wednesday evening.
The Basics
Score: Worcester State 3, UMass Dartmouth 2
Records: Worcester State 2-1 | UMass Dartmouth 2-1
How it Happened
The Corsairs began the match on a high note, taking the first set by a 25-20 score thanks in part to five kills on seven attempts by freshman Anita Sengara (Vancouver, British Columbia). UMass Dartmouth's offense ran on all cylinders, as the Corsairs registered 16 kills to the Lancers' six.
Worcester State turned the tides in set two, as UMass Dartmouth was able to muster only six kills and ultimately fell 25-16. In the third set, senior Kayla Kirby (Westport, Mass.) and freshman Taila Roberson (Norwalk, Conn.) combined for six block assists to help their squad edge out a 25-23 win and regain the lead.
The Lancers struck back again. In the fourth set, Worcester State put forth a .214 collective attack percentage to take advantage of its opportunities and even the score at two sets apiece with a 25-17 win.
It took all of set five and then some to determine the ultimate winner, as the Lancers tallied three-straight kills with the score at 14-12, evening the margin at 15 points each. Worcester State's Sarah Powers then recorded a kill, and Megan Rouillard put the match away with a service ace to end the set at 17-15.
Inside the Numbers
- UMass Dartmouth was paced by Sengara's 14 kills, while sophomore Emily West (Holyoke, Mass.) registered eight kills on a .333 attack percentage. Sophomore Olivia Wallett (Willington, Conn.) tacked on nine kills while hitting .227.
- Senior setter Christina Spinazola (Medway, Mass.) registered 32 assists and five service aces on the contest.
- Four Corsairs tallied double-digit digs on the match, led by libero Jillian Sykora's (Waterford, Conn.) total of 19.
- UMass Dartmouth collected 12 block assists over the five sets, with Roberson and Kirby posting four apiece.
- Worcester State has now won three-straight over UMass Dartmouth, dating back to 2014.
Up Next
UMass Dartmouth looks to right the ship in its home opener on Saturday, as the Corsairs host Eastern Nazarene and Lasell for a tri-match starting at 10 a.m.
