After dropping the first set, the Wilmington University volleyball team fought back to take the next three games and the match, 3-1, at Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division foe Chestnut Hill on Tuesday night.
Set scores for the match were 20-25, 25-20, 25-14, and 25-21.
The win is the fifth straight for the Wildcats (16-12, 12-3 CACC) as they sweep the season series from Chestnut Hill (13-13, 8-7 CACC) after a 3-0 victory earlier in the season over the Griffins at the WU Athletics Complex.
The match was decided at the net, as freshmen Eile Harris and Erin Bistany each collected one solo block each while finishing with a team high five block assists each. The Wildcats out-blocked the Griffins, 12-0, for the match.
The Griffins turned a 19-17 deficit into a 24-19 lead with seven straight points at the end of the first set before an Harris kill ended the rally. But the Griffins' Madison McBride gave the first game to the home team with a kill, 25-20.
The Wildcats then turned a 12-10 deficit into a 15-12 lead following a block by Bistany. Chestnut Hill battled back to tie the game 15-15 and again at 17-17. The Wildcats scored four of the next five points to take a 21-18 following another kill from Harris. The Wildcats got kills from Alex Siolos, Bistany, and Allison Briley on the final three points to tie the match, 1-1, at 25-20.
The third set was all Wilmington as the Wildcats jumped out to a 7-2 lead before Chestnut Hill used its first timeout. But that didn't stop the Wildcats as they continued their run all the way to 15-5. The Griffins closed the gap to as close at 22-14, but a kill from Hannah Karas, a block by Kara and Harris, and a bad set gave Wilmington the set, 25-14.
The Griffins fought off a 17-14 deficit in the fourth set to score four straight points and take a brief 18-17 lead. But the Wildcats scored eight of the next 11 points overall to close out the set and the match, including a run of four straight to reach match points. A ball handling error gave Wilmington the set, 25-21, and the match, 3-1.
Briley led the Wildcats with 15 kills while only committing one error on 27 swings, hitting a team high .378 for the match. Briley also collected 10 digs for the double-double.
Kaitlin DiGiacinto was the only other Wildcat with double digit kills, collecting 13 with only one error on 42 swings to finish with a .286 attack percentage. DiGiacinto also collected a double-double with 14 digs defensively.
Shelby Henderson led the back row with 26 digs while Kasey Couch added 15 and finished with a double-double with 21 assists. Siolos also ended with a double-double with 21 assists and 10 digs.
The Wildcats head to crosstown rival Goldey-Beacom on Thursday to continue their CACC schedule. The first serve is slated for 7 p.m.