CAMBRIDGE-Mass.---Despite falling to the Mountaineers in the first two sets, the Lesley University women's volleyball team did not give up. The Lynx came back to defeat Southern Vermont College 3-2 in tonight's New England Collegiate Conference(NECC) match in the Nicholas Athletic Center. Lesley jumps to 11-14, remaining undefeated in NECC play, 5-0. The Mountaineers fall to 6-18 and 2-3 in the conference.
Liv Sowles (Sacramento, Calif.) led the Mountaineers in kills with 21 where teammate Nikki Ramirez (West Covina, Calif.) was next in line with 15. Junior Heidy Benitez (Tulare, Calif.) finished with a game high 30 digs for the Mountaineers. Senior Anni Abbruzzese (Croton on Hudson, N.Y.) recorded a career and game-high 28 kills and led the Lynx in digs with 24. Cassidy Wygnoik(Madison, Conn. and Kaylee Deluga(Dennis, Mass.) teamed up to earn 13 and 11 kills apiece.
Abigail Landon (South Glens Falls, N.Y.) handed out 31 assists but it was rookie Tallin Goldberg (Merrimack, N.H.) that took the lead with a game-high 50 assists.
The Mountaineers came out hot taking the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-19. Nonetheless it was the strong efforts behind Abbruzzese and the four solo blocks from Deluga that allowed the Lynx to come out on top in the next two sets 25-18, 25-20. Lesley was down 7-5 but it was 10 straight points including five kills from Abbruzzese that secured the 15-8 victory.
Abbruzzese says "Tonights game was the peak of this teams season. Every single one of us went hard. We were talking, we were fighting and that last rally was one for the record books."
The Lynx venture to Dean College for a NECC matchup tomorrow night. Match time set for 7:00 p.m.
"Dean beat us in a game earlier this season but we're ready to take that back from them" says Abbruzzese.
