Copyright 2016; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. Photo of the two seniors Allison Briley (left) and Megan Ward (right), taken by Frank Stallworth.
NEWARK, Del. - - The 2016 Wilmington University volleyball season came to a close on a high note on Saturday, sweeping University of the Sciences, 3-0, in the WU Athletics Complex on Senior Day.
Set scores for the match were 25-16, 25-13, and 25-14.
The Wildcats (10-20, 7-12 CACC) honored its two seniors, Allison Briley and Megan Ward, prior to the start of the match on Saturday, and the senior repaid the team and the crowd by leading the Wildcats to victory. Briley led the team with 10 kills with only three errors for a .226 attack percentage while Ward added a career high nine kills with only one error and an outstanding .444 attack percentage.
WilmU broke a 13-13 tie with a 9-2 run, extending a 16-15 lead into a 22-15 lead late in the first game. Three straight Devil (6-17, 4-15 CACC) errors gave the Wildcats the opening game, 25-16.
The Wildcats started the second set on an 8-3 run before another 6-0 spurt opened the game to 14-5. The Devils closed the gap to 20-12, but Rebecca Rawlinson ended the skid with a kill. Deja Stanek and Hailey Runowski put down back-to-back kills before Jill Braunsberg ended game two with an ace, 25-13.
Trailing 6-5 in the third set, the Wildcats took the set over with a 6-0 run, getting a solo block from Rawlinson for the 11-6 lead. The Wildcats scored two points to the Devils' one for the bulk of the third game before four consecutive points for the home team ended the set, 25-14, and the match, 3-0.
Nine different Wildcats recorded a kill in the season finale, as the team hit .239 for the match. The defense was even more impressive, as it held the Devils to a negative .008 attack percentage as the Wildcats had four players with double digit digs and collected 11 total blocks.
Jenna Brown led all players with 22 digs while Jill Braunsberg added 12. Briley finished with 11 digs while Miranda Shaw collected 10 more. Rawlinson was a monster at the net, denying three Devil attacks by herself and got a hand on five more block assists. Briley assisted on four blocks while Eile Harris chipped in with three block assists.
Briley ends her career as the program's all-time career leader in kills (1,367), attempts (4,370), points (1,517.5), and seventh in digs (1,176).
