PAXTON, Mass. – Sophomore Rebecca Foti (Bedford, N.H.) recorded 14 kills, four aces, 12 digs, and two blocks to help pace the Anna Maria women's volleyball team to a 3-2 win over Wentworth Institute of Technology in a non-conference contest.
With the win the AMCATS improve to 11-9 while the Leopards fall to 5-13.
Anna Maria led for most of the first set and used a 7-1 run to take an 18-10 lead on a kill from senior Brianna LaRegina (Troy, N.Y.). Wentworth scored 12 of the next 16 points to tie the set at 22-all on an AMCAT attack error. The run continued with an ace from senior Hannah Bailey (Plymouth, Mass.) and a kill from sophomore Sydney Meyers (Washington, D.C.), putting the Leopards at set point. However, a Foti kill and a Wentworth attack error would tie the score at 24-all but a pair of Anna Maria errors gave the visitors a 26-24 win.
The AMCATS recorded 10 kills in the second set and served seven aces, en route to a 25-15 win and would tie the match at a set apiece.
Wentworth took a 2-1 lead in the third set with a 25-22 win. The Leopards jumped out to an 8-2 lead and would hold on as the hosts eventually pulled within two at 24-22 late. Bailey ended the set with a kill. Meyers had four kills in the set.
A back and forth fourth set opened with four lead changes, with the last coming at 9-all after a Wentworth attack error. Anna Maria scored three straight points after that before an attack error and a Meyers kill made it 12-11. However, the AMCATS scored 10 of the next 12 points and took a 22-15 lead on a kill from Foti. Foti would force the deciding set when she recorded a kill to close out the set, 25-17.
Wentworth had a 5-4 lead after a Meyers kill, however five straight points gave Anna Maria a 9-5 lead. Back-to-back points by the Leopards made it 9-7 but that would be as close as they would get as the AMCATS took the set, 15-8, and a 3-2 match victory.
Freshman Amari King (Lawrence, Mass.) had 13 kills and 21 digs while senior Jessica Goulet (Lawrence, Mass.) added 13 kills and five blocks. LaRegina had eight kills, senior Brittany Jackson (Larchmont, N.Y.) had 22 digs, and senior Samantha Parker (Athol, Mass.) had 44 assists – including the 2,000th of her career – and four aces. Anna Maria had 23 aces as a team, including seven from junior Demi Carrero (Mamaroneck, N.Y.).
Meyers had 12 kills and two blocks, Bailey had seven kills and 10 digs, junior Jordan Young (Derry, N.H.) had seven kills and three blocks, freshman Lillie Clark (Vista, Calif.) had 27 digs, junior Amanda Hunton (Monroe, N.Y.) had 19 assists and 10 digs, and sophomore Katelyn Carlson (Stratford, Conn.) had 14 assists and 11 digs.
Wentworth hosts Becker and Mass. Maritime in a tri-match on Saturday.
