Needing one win to clinch tight match, Warriors drop final three
Below: Ashley Tuggle
NORTON, Mass. - In a five-game match decided by a total of 22 points, women's volleyball couldn't capitalize on a two-game advantage in dropping a non-conference decision to Wheaton College Friday night at Emerson Gymnasium.
Eastern (7-9) was within one a game of the victory after taking the first two games, but Wheaton (10-8) battled back to force a deciding game by taking games three and four. There were ten ties in the final game before the Lyons scored the final two points to emerge with the victory in the first match in this series played on Wheaton's home floor.
Eastern won the first two games by scores of 25-19 and 25-22 and Wheaton captured the next three, 25-20, 25-19, 16-14. The five-game match was the eighth this year for Wheaton, which has won six times, including the last five straight.
The final two-point win in Game 5 equalled Wheaton's largest lead in the entire final game. Sophomore Kristianna Ibsen (Shelton) gave the Warriors their last lead in the final game with a kill that made it 12-11. Trailing 14-13, Eastern momentarily avoided match point when junior Rachael Joy's (Huntington Station, NY) cross-court attack caught the top of the net and landed just inside the right sideline. With Esatern serving Wheaton got a kill to tie thte match, then won it with another off its own serve.
Eastern broke from the eighth tie of Game 1 to score six straight points and pull away for the win. Eastern jumped to an 8-1 lead in Game 2 behind the serving of senior Ashley Tuggle (South Windsor) before Wheaton battled back to assume its only lead at 21-20. Ibsen gave Eastern the lead for good with a kill and junior Alyssa Ruta's (Holbrook, NY) serving - which included an ace to make it a two-point advantage -- carried the team to the win. Sophomore Britt Carrier (Southington) had nine kills on 12 tries with only two errors and added eight digs to key the Game 2 win, with Tuggle and sophomore Taylor Abelli (Cheshire) both digging seven balls in that game.
With Eastern eyeing a sweep, sophomore Samantha Slonski (Griswold) served Eastern to a quick 3-0 lead in Game 3, but the hosts reeled off eight straight points soon after and never gave up the lead. In Game 4, Tuggle served the Warriors to a 4-0 lead, but Wheaton countered with the next six on the way to tying the match with a six-point victory.
Carrier was Eastern's top player in the match. She had 16 kills and 24 digs. Ibsen had 11 kills and five blocks, Abelli had 21 digs and Slonski 44 set assists, 15 digs, four aces and three blocks. Tuggle added 13 digs and Ruta ten and freshman Ali Facchii (Niantic) ten kills. Ruta served 24 balls with only one error, and Slonski 18 with only one. Abelli was perfect on 17 serves.
Offensively, Eastern struggled, attacking at only .092.
Easten visits Newport, RI Saturday, facing the U.S. Coast Guard at 1 p.m. and host Salve Regina University at 3 p.m.
Wheaton College (MA) 3, Eastern Conn. 2
Eastern Conn. (7-9) 25 25 20 19 14
Wheaton College (10-8) 19 22 25 25 16
