CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Gordon College outlasted the Lesley University women's volleyball team 3-2 (25-13, 25-20, 23-25, 23-25) in an exciting five-set non-conference affair tonight at the Nicholas Athletics Center. The Fighting Scots won the first two sets before the Lynx stormed back to win the third and fourth sets to knot the match at 2-2, but Gordon hung on to win a tight fifth and deciding set to earn the victory.
The Fighting Scots, winners of four of their last five matches, improve to 6-5 on the season with the win while the loss drops the Lynx to 2-5 overall.
Lynx sophomore Anni Abbruzzese (Croton on Hudson, N.Y.) posted a double-double of a team-high 14 kills and 17 assists for the hosts while classmate Sarah Hollis (Hudson, Mass.) knocked down a career-best 11 kills and eight digs in the loss. Fellow sophomore Kaylee Deluga (Dennis, Mass.) added nine kills and Ciara Bruning (Centerville, Mass.) finished with seven to help aid the offense. Senior setter Emily Marden (Fremont, Calif.) doled out a season-high 38 assists for the hosts while Danielle McDonald (Lilitz, Pa.) paced the defense with 19 digs.
Gordon freshman Mackenzie Hinds (Higganum, Conn.) led all players with 18 kills to go with her ten digs while junior Carleigh Petersen (North Hills, Calif.) added 17 kills and 16 digs on the defensive side. Fellow junior Jenna Labbadia (Berlin, Conn.) finished with 14 digs and sophomore Meghan Hokanson (Coon Rapids, Minn.) knocked down nine. Junior libero Maggie Risma (Hudson, Ohio) dug out a match-high 20 balls for the Fighting Scots.
After the two sides split the first four sets, the match would move into a deciding fifth. A Hokanson kill followed by a Lynx error gave the Fighting Scots a 14-10 edge and just one point away from a win. The Lynx would not go down quietly, however, as an Abbruzzese strike would spark a 3-0 run to pull the hosts to within one. That is as close as Lesley would get, though, as Labbadia finished the match with a strong right-handed slam from the middle of the net to give Gordon the 3-2 win.
Both sides will return to the court with tri-matches on Saturday. The Lynx will head to Wentworth to battle with the Leopards and Worcester State at 11:00a while the Fighting Scots will travel to WPI for a dual affair with the Engineers and Wheaton College at 1:00p.