Volleyball Falls to WPI in Non-Conference Action

DARTMOUTH, Mass. - Trailing by two sets, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) rallied for a 3-2 (24-26, 25-27, 25-20, 25-18, 15-10) victory over UMass Dartmouth in non-conference action on Tuesday at the Tripp Athletic Center. The Engineers move to 5-2 overall, while the Corsairs slip to 5-3 on the young season.

The homestanding Corsairs gutted out victories in each of the first two sets, trailing by a 9-2 margin early in the first. Powered by a 7-1 margin in points, including a kill from rookie outside hitter Ashley Serverius, UMD pulled to within one (10-9). It became a back-and-forth battle as both teams looked to secure the opening set advantage. Trailing by a 19-17 margin, the Corsairs rattled off six straight points for a 23-19 margin. The lead was short lived as consecutive attacking errors from the home team pulled WPI back into a 23-all tie. Back-to-back kills from Pate secured the set win in the end.

Second set action saw UMass Dartmouth open a 5-1 lead behind kills from sophomore opposite Olivia Seutter, freshman middle blocker Aleek Kuot and junior middle blocker Vivian Neyman. The home team led by as much as 13-8 before the Engineers crept back in once more, using seven straight points to grab the 17-15 lead. With the visitors holding the 23-20 advantage, UMD posted five of the next six points for a one point lead, but WPI tied it yet again. A kill from junior outside hitter and captain Allison Pate, coupled with an attacking error by the Engineers secured the second set victory.

WPI battled back in the third, overcoming a 9-5 deficit to grab a 10-9 lead. The two teams kept it close, but late in the frame, a pair of serivce aces from Preslie Jerebker saw the visitors with set point. WPI sealed the win on a kill from Anastasia Kelnik and that momentum carried straight into the fourth set as the visitors opened a commanding 20-9 lead. The Corsairs answered with three straight points, including kills from Kuot and Pate, but an Olivia Hutchinson kill quickly saw the Engineers on the verge of forcing a fifth set with a 24-15 score. Despite three points from the Corsairs, WPI sealed it on an error from UMD.

Fifth set action saw the Corsairs battle from behind to grab a 5-4 lead off a kill from Kuot. The Engineers answered, but UMD rallied to tie it 7-all. The momentum quickly swung in WPI's favor with five straight points to take the 12-7 lead. A kill and an ace from Pate helped pull the home team back in, but a kill from Hutchinson and an ace from Victoria Escuer sealed the match victory.

Pate led the way with a match-high 19 kills to go along with a 27 digs. She also added an assist and an ace. Seutter posted 17 kills on the night, adding a service ace and four block assists. Kuot recorded eight kills with a match-high five block assists, while senior defensive specialist and captain Emily Pogorelec had a match-high 28 digs with two assists, two kills and two service aces. Junior setter Skye Peters posted a match-high 34 assists with five digs. 

UMass Dartmouth returns to action on Friday, traveling to Northampton, Mass., for the Smith College Invitational. The Corsairs will face Bowdoin College on Friday at 7pm in Smith's Scott Gymnasium. UMD will then face the host Bears on Saturday at 12pm in Ainsworth Gym, followed by a 2024 NCAA rematch against Colby at 2pm in Scott Gym.