NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University volleyball team had a five-match winning streak snapped on Tuesday night, as Jefferson came to the WU Athletics Complex and swept the Wildcats in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference action.
Set scores for the match were 25-16, 25-20, and 25-19.
Jefferson (6-5, 2-0 CACC) used long service streaks to work its way past the Wildcats (7-7, 1-1 CACC), collecting seven aces but also creating easy offense by getting the Wildcats out of system.
The Wildcats scored the first point of the match, but then the Rams' Courtney Wensel put down a kill and proceeded to rattle off 13 points on her serve, including three aces. The Wildcats fought back by scoring 12 of the next 15 points overall, closing the gap to as close as 17-13 before running out of steam. The Rams scored six of the final eight points of the set to move ahead in the match, 25-16.
Brittany Ford picked up a pair of aces en route to a quick 5-0 lead for the Wildcats in the second set, but the Rams fought back to eventually tie the mat at 6-6. The teams traded the next 11 points before the Rams took the lead, 13-12. Tied again at 19-19, the Rams scored back-to-back points to take a 21-19 lead, and then scored the final four points of the set to move ahead in the match, 2-0, 25-20.
It looked as though the Wildcats were going to keep the match alive, jumping out to third set leads of 6-0 and 13-2. But the Rams answered with six straight points of their own en route to runs of 13-1 and 19-2 to take control and lead 21-15. Back-to-back kills from Caroline Wise and Brittany Ford brought the Wildcats back to within 22-18, but the Rams had an answer again, scoring twice to get to match point, 24-18. Wensel ended the game with a tip kill, 25-19.
Ford led the Wildcats with nine kills and three aces, adding eight digs as well. Bailey Andrews had seven kills and seven digs while Rebecca Rawlinson put down six kills with two solo blocks. Miranda Shaw led the team with 16 assists while Jenna Brown led the team with 18 digs.
The Wildcats were out hit in the match, .230 to .051, and out-dug, 62-50, despite tying the Rams in blocks, 6.0 to 6.0.
The Wildcats tough start to the CACC schedule continues this week, as they travel to Georgian Court for their next match. They head to Lakewood on Friday night with the first serve starting at 6:00 p.m.
