Women's Volleyball Sweeps Its Way Past Gwynedd Mercy

GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. – Kate McLane (14) and Mika Swanson (10) each recorded double digits in kills as the Wentworth Institute of Technology women's volleyball team swept Gwynedd Mercy University, 3-0, in non-conference action Friday night.

With the win the Leopards improve to 8-3 while the Griffins fall to 3-4. The win was Wentworth's sixth by a 3-0 score this season.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The opening set saw Wentworth fall behind early, trailing 9-4 before a kill by Swanson started an 8-0 run and put the Leopards ahead, 12-9. The Griffins scored the next three points to even the set at 12-all but a service error, a Swanson ace, and a kill from McLane put the Black & Gold back on top. After a service error gave a point back to the hosts, Wentworth went on an 8-0 run and led, 23-13. Gwynedd Mercy used a 5-1 run to pull to within six at 24-18 but Ella Stadtherr put down a kill to give Wentworth a 1-0 lead with a 25-18 win.
• After surrendering the first point of the second set, McLane recorded a kill which started a 6-0 run and put the Leopards on top, 6-1. The Griffins responded with a 5-2 spurt of their own and came within a pair at 8-6. Back-to-back errors put the Leopards on top, 10-6, and they held a four-point edge until the hosts made it 14-11 after an attack error. A service error gave Wentworth a point back and started an 8-3 run that was capped off by a bad set, making the score 22-14. The Griffins went on an 8-2 run, coming back to within a pair at 24-22 before McLane gave the Black & Gold a 2-0 win with a kill that made it 25-22.
• The hosts scored three of the first four points in the third set before a 5-1 Wentworth run – capped off by an Amanda Zweifler ace – put the Leopards in top, 6-4. Gwynedd Mercy used a 5-2 run of its own to take a 9-8 lead, however, a Stadtherr kill started a 6-1 run that put Wentworth on top, 16-11. Leading 18-14, Wentworth built on its lead when Stadtherr put down a kill and Swanson notched three straight kills to make it 22-14. The Griffins used a 5-1 run to cut the lead to 23-19 but a service error and a McLane kill ended the match for Wentworth.
• McLane hit .324 (14-3-34) on the match while Swanson hit .500 (10-2-16) and also had a pair of blocks and two aces. Emma Sanders had six kills and five digs. Olivia Vaughn had 29 assists while Zweifler had 14 digs.

THE SERIES:

• Tonight was the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

NEXT UP:

• Wentworth heads to Arcadia tomorrow for a tri-match with Moravian and the host Knights.

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