RUTHERFORD, N.J. - - For the third match in a row the Wilmington University volleyball team produced double digit blocks, as the defense carried the Wildcats to a 3-1 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference victory at Felician on Saturday afternoon inside Job Gym.
Set scores for the match were 20-25, 25-17, 25-15, and 25-17.
The Wildcats (14-9, 8-3 CACC) finished with 22 block assists and one solo block, leading to 12 total blocks to the Golden Falcons' (5-13, 4-7 CACC) three. The Wildcats also out-dug the Golden Falcons, 77-71, in the match.
The Wildcats came out slow in the opening set, allowing Felician to take leads of 10-2 and 13-3. The Wildcats fought back to within 23-17, and fought off three set points before Felician take a 1-0 lead, 25-20.
Leading 11-8 in the second frame, the Wildcats rattled off four straight points en route to a 6-1 run to open up a 17-9 gap. Felician countered to get to within 18-14, but the Wildcats were able to stretch it back out to 23-16. A Bailey Andrews kill gave the visitors set point before a Felician error tied the match, 1-1, 25-17.
The teams went back and forth in the third set, with Felician leading 11-9. The Wildcats turned the set around with a 6-0 spurt on Rebecca Rawlinson's service game to take a 15-11 lead. Another four consecutive points put the Wildcats up 20-13 and they ended the set with the final four points on the strength of Miranda Shaw's serve.
A 3-0 run broke a 4-4 game in the fourth set and the Wildcats never looked back. The lead continued to grow throughout the set, as Caroline Wise and Angel Oliver came up with a block to move the Wildcats to 17-9. Jill Braunsberg had a kill to get to 21-15before the Wildcats scored four of the final five points to take the match, 25-17. Oliver and Bailey Andrews teamed up for a block on match point.
Oliver led the defense at the net with five block assists and a solo block while Rebecca Rawlinson finished with six block assists. Caroline Wise added five block assists as well for the Wildcats. Three Wildcats finished with double digit digs, led by Jenna Brown's 19. Braunsberg finished with 15 while Mandy Behiels added 14.
Behiels also led the offense with 18 kills on the afternoon, hitting .217 for the match. Bailey Andrews collected 10 kills with only one error on 29 swings while Braunsberg finished a kill shy of a triple-double with nine to go along with 18 assists, and her 15 digs. Miranda Shaw dished out 22 assists as well.
The Wildcats return home to face Chestnut Hill on Tuesday night at the WU Athletics Complex. The first serve is set for 7:00 p.m.