CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – WPI ruined the Lesley women's volleyball season opener as the Engineers swept the Lynx 3-0 tonight at Buckingham, Browne, and Nichols. With the win, the Engineers improve to 4-1 while the Lynx start the 2013 campaign at 0-1.
Freshman Sam Bircsak (Acton, Mass.) led the WPI offense with a match-high seven kills while classmates Maddy Werth (Bedford, Mass.) and Cassandra Tomerlin (La Quinta, Calif.) each connected for five. WPI setter Caroline Meyer (Easton, Mass.) had a team high 14 assists.
Leading the way for the Lynx was freshman Vanessa Smith (Somersworth, N.H.) who drilled home six kills to go with her match-high five blocks while junior Danielle Johnson (Waterford, Conn.) and sophomore Danielle McDonald (Lancaster, Pa.) each had four kills. McDonald and classmate Jessie Reynolds (Londonderry, N.H.) each had a team high ten digs.
In the first set the Engineers jumped out to a commanding 20-7 edge, much due to four Tomerlin service aces. The Lynx stormed back, however, scoring 13 of the next 16 points behind Reynolds' serve and two kills from Johnson to get within three, 23-20. That would be as close as Lesley would get as WPI scored the final two points on a Lynx serving error and an ace from freshman Brianna Parent (Epping, N.H.).
The Engineers jumped out to another quick lead in the second, taking a 14-3 advantage with a balanced attack that saw six different players register a kill. Once again, the Lynx continued to chip away at the lead and got to within 23-19 behind two kills each from McDonald, Johnson, and Smith, but it was not enough as WPI hung on for a 25-21 second set win.
The third set saw the Engineers get out to yet another fast start, but this time they would not let the Lynx back in. WPI scored 12 of the first 13 points as Tomerlin's serve was again effective as she knocked in six aces, including four in a row, to give the Engineers a 12-1 lead. The visitor's didn't look back and continued to push their lead, ending the third set, and the match, with a 25-9 win.
Tomerlin has 11 total aces for WPI to go with her five kills while also adding nine digs. Freshman setter Lucy Garvey (Westerly, R.I.) dished out six assists while Sarah Cook (New Paltz, N.Y.) finished with two kills, five digs, and one block.
Sophomore libero Katey Carew (Salem, N.H.) finished with seven digs while senior Katrina Stroganoff (Cedar Grove, N.J.) registered three kills for the Lynx.
Lesley returns to action on Tuesday, September 10th when they travel to Pine Manor College at 7:00p for another non-conference matchup while WPI will participate in the Worcestor City Tournament hosted by Clark University on Saturday, September 7th. Their first match will be against Becker College at 12:00p.
Danielle Johnson on improvements the Lynx hope to make and their next match at Pine Manor College: