Men's Volleyball Defeats Lasell in Straight Set Victory

BOSTON, Mass. –The #12 ranked Wentworth Institute of Technology men's volleyball team returned home Thursday evening, defeating Lasell University in a 3-0 straight set win.

RECORDS

• Wentworth 13-3, 6-1 GNAC)
• Lasell (11-6, 5-1 GNAC)

WENTWORTH STAT LEADERS:

• Kills –Jacob LaBouliere, 20; Hunter Oshman, 14
• Assists – Connor Adams, 40
• Digs – Phoenix Stebbins, 14
• Aces – Connor Adams, 3

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• After falling behind 2-1 in the opening set, the Leopards took control. Two kills by junior Hunter Oshman (Pennington, N.J.) and a pair of service aces from junior Colin Stockton (Hummelstown, Pa.) guided Wentworth as they won five of six to take the lead. However, three straight points for the Pride evened the set at 6-6. Kills by LaBouliere and junior Alex McLane (Columbus, Ohio), as well as an ace by sophomore Jacob Waga (East Northport, N.Y.) put the home team ahead once again. After Lasell came back to tie it at nine, the Leopards ran off seven unanswered points to go up 16-9. LaBouliere had two kills during the stretch, while senior Connor Adams (Budd Lake, N.J.) provided two aces. But the Pride cam storming back, winning seven of the next eight to get right back in it. Two more kills by Oshman and LaBouliere gave Wentworth a two point lead, but the visitors came back with four straight and held a 22-20 lead. A trio of kills by LaBouliere got the Leopards even at 23-23 following a kill by Lasell's Brenden Joyce (Randolph, Mass.). After another kill by Joyce, Oshman and McLane gave Wentworth a one point lead after two kills. After Lasell tied it at 25, Oshman and LaBouliere gave Wentworth the two points they needed with one kill each to close out the opening set with a 27-25 victory.
• After playing to a 2-2 score in the second, Wentworth turned on the offense. Three kills by Oshman, as well as one from both LaBouliere and graduate student David Marsh (Springfield, Mass.) were part of a 9-3 run as the Leopards opened up an 11-4 lead. LaBouliere added two more kills while McLane and Oshman added one each as Wentworth maintained its advantage, eventually going up 16-8 following Oshman's kill. The Pride won three of four to pull within six points, but a kill by LaBouliere and ace from Adams gave the Leopards an eight point lead once again. After Lasell cut their deficit to six once again, Wentworth closed out the set by getting kills from Stockton and LaBouliere, going up 2-0 in the match following a 25-17 win.
• A pair of kills by Joyce were offset by two from LaBouliere and one by Oshman as the Leopards jumped ahead early in the third. Following a point by the Pride to tie it, Wentworth won five of six to create separation. Adams and Marsh picked up kills, while Oshman added a service ace, putting the home team ahead 8-4 early on. After Lasell got within three and trailed 10-7, Stockton came through with a kill to restore the four point lead. The Pride continued to come back though, as a kill by Joyce got the visitors within two at 12-10. But two kills and another ace by Oshman were part of five straight points, putting the Leopards ahead by seven and putting them in a position to close out the match, but Lasell returned fire as the Pride won seven consecutive points to tie the set at 17-17. Two aces by Jordan Shinault (Peoria, Ariz.) were key during the stretch as the Pride attempted to get back in the match by winning the third. The Leopards responded strong though, as Wentworth won five of six to take a 22-18 lead. LaBouliere had three more kills during the run, and sophomore Tyler Jack (San Jose, Calif.) came through with two consecutive aces. Despite a pair of late kills by Lasell, the Leopards were able to pick up the three points they needed, closing things out with a straight set victory, taking the third set by a 25-20 score.

THE SERIES:

• This was the 49^th matchup between the two programs. The Leopards now hold a 30-19 lead in the series.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth heads out to California next week, taking part in a tri-match Friday, Feb. 11. The Leopards first go up against Baldwin Wallace University at 6:00 p.m. EST, then match up with California Lutheran University at 10:00 p.m. EST.

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