BROOKVILLE, N.Y. - - The Wilmington University volleyball team dropped a pair of matches at LIU Post, falling to the host Pioneers, 3-0, before dropping a match to New Haven, 3-0, at the Pratt Rec Center on Saturday afternoon.
Set scores for the match against LIU Post were 25-22, 25-16, and 25-20.
Set scores for the match against New Haven were 25-19, 25-14, and 26-24.
The Wildcats (4-7) got out to a fast start against LIU Post in the opener, getting a solo block from Rebecca Rawlinson for a 4-1 lead. Erin Bistany put down a kill to put the Wildcats ahead, 8-5, in the first set. But the Pioneers answered back with nine straight points and an 11-1 run to take a 16-9 lead.
The Wildcats led the third set 11-10 and had the game at 12-12 before the Pioneers rattled off an 8-3 spurt to take a 20-15 lead. The Wildcats battled back to within 21-20, but that was as close as they would get before the Pioneers scored the final four points of the match.
The Wildcats hit .045 as a team for the match, led by Brittany Ford and Jill Braunsberg's six kills each. Miranda Shaw dished out 11 assists while Ford led the back row with 16 digs. Rawlinson finished with two solo blocks and a block assist while Bistany finished with two block assists and a solo block.
In the nightcap, the Wildcats again got off to a fast start, scoring the first four points against New Haven. Another three straight points put the Wildcats ahead 12-9 but the Chargers came back with a 9-1 run to grab a 19-14 lead. The Wildcats clawed back to within 19-17, but the Chargers answered with six of the final eight points to take the opener, 25-19.
The third set was a close knit affair, as the Wildcats and Chargers went back and forth. Trailing 14-13, the Wildcats scored four of the next five points to take a 17-15 lead. Again tied at 19, a Braunsberg kill started a 4-0 run for the Wildcats, as a New Haven attack error put the Wildcats ahead, 23-19. The Wildcats had set point at 24-23 as Mandy Behiels put down a kill, but they couldn't find the finishing touch as the Chargers fought back with the final three points of the match.
Behiels led the offense that hit .137 with eight kills and only one error. Shaw passed out 11 more assists while Addalyn Flores and Braunsberg led the back row with 10 digs each. Eile Harris and Rawlinson each had a solo block in the match.
The Wildcats return to action on Tuesday as they open their Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference home slate against Felician at the WU Athletics Complex. Opening serve is set for 7:00 p.m.