MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - - The Wilmington University volleyball team started its 2012 season off with a pair of sweeps over Millersville and East Stroudsburg, 3-0, in the first day of the Marauder Clash on Friday at Pucillo Gymnasium at Millersville University.
Set scores for the matches were 25-23, 25-18 and 25-23 against Millersville and 25-22, 25-22 and 25-13 over East Stroudsburg.
The Wildcats were led by a plethora of individuals in their first match of the season as senior Nicole Wiechecki, and freshmen Kaitlin DiGiacinto and Alex Siolos tied for the match high with nine kills apiece. Junior middles Katie Shorter and Brittany Biddle were also in on the action as they recorded seven and six kills, respectively.
Trailing 20-19 late in the first set, the Wildcats used a 4-0 run to gain control of the game. Shorter knotted the game at 20 with a kill from Siolas. Sophomore setter Kasey Couch followed with a service ace and served as the defense stepped up with solo blocks by Wiechecki and Shorter for the 23-20 lead.
Another late set run turned a close second set into a victory for the Wildcats after the game was knotted at 15-15. DiGiacinto started the rally with a kill followed by two Millersville errors. Siolos put down an attack from Wiechecki while Biddle made it 21-15 with a solo block. Wiechecki and Brooke Foskey finished off the 8-0 run with kills. Wiechecki finished the set with a kill to lead 2-0.
The third set was more back and forth throughout the entire game, but it was a late three point swing that gave Wilmington the match. Tied at 20-20, Siolos and Shorter teamed up for a block and DiGiacinto and Siolos went back-to-back with kills to push the lead to 23-20. The Wildcats went on to score two of the next five points, with Biddle and DiGiacinto capping the match off with a block.
Sophomore Kasey Couch effectively ran the offense, dishing out a match high 23 assists while Siolos added 16 helpers in the three-set match over Millersville.
Defensively, three Wildcats pitched in with double digit digs as Wiechecki led the way with 14, followed by DiGiacinto, 13, and freshman Shelby Henderson, 10.
The Wildcats return to action tomorrow morning with another pair of matches to round out the Marauder Clash. They open Saturday with a match against Quincy at 9 a.m. and will face Concord at 11 a.m.
AGATE:
Wilmington def. Millersville, 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-23)
Wilmington (kills-assists-digs-blocks): Shorter (7-0-2-2.5), Couch (1-23-3-0), Wiechecki (9-1-14-1), Biddle (6-2-1-2), DiGiacinto (9-1-13-1), Siolos (9-16-8-1), Henderson (0-1-10-0), Shuba (0-0-0-0), Foskey (4-0-0-0.5), Scarfo (0-0-5-0)
Total Team Blocks: Wilmington 8, Millersville 9
