Press Release Written by Sports Information Graduate Intern MaryKate Rumbaugh
Garden City, N.Y. – Despite losing 3-0, the Wilmington University volleyball team gave Adelphi University a tough three sets Monday night in their last nonconference matchup of the season at the Center for Recreation and Sport.
Set scores for the match were 25-19, 27-25, and 28-26.
The Wildcats (18-12) put up a fight against the 23-5 Panthers as each set was a race to set point. Wilmington jumped out to a 9-6 lead off of two errors in the first set before the Panthers went on a 5-0 run to make it an 11-9 game. The Wildcats would tie the set two more times until the Panthers took a 17-14 lead to slowly take the set, 25-19.
WilmU was in control for most of the second set leading the Panthers, 22-16 thanks to three back-to-back kills and an attacking error by Adelphi. But the Panthers would not quit, chipping away to make it a 23-20 game. The Wildcats had set point, but Adelphi was able to hold off four set points and eventually take a 25-24 lead over the Wildcats. WilmU was able to tie it back up at 25 apiece, but the Panthers went on to win, 27-25.
Wilmington was in charge again in the third set with a 19-14 lead off a Mandy Behiels kill, before the Panthers made a comeback to tie it at 19-19. Neither team would quit, as the set would be tied six more times, including Rebecca Rawlinson and Jill Braunsberg's back-to-back kills to tie it up at 24-24. A kill from Bailey Andrews and an attacking error would give WilmU the 26-25 lead, but Adelphi was able to secure the next three points to take the third and final set, 28-26.
Mandy Behiels recorded 10 kills, as Bailey Andrews added six. Jenna Brown had 21 digs, while Miranda Shaw dished out 14 assists for the Wildcats.
Adelphi out-hit the Wildcats 49-26 in the match, despite the Wildcats out-blocking the Panthers, 7-2.
The Wildcats are right back at it as they will travel to Jefferson for their next Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference matchup on Wednesday for a 6:00 p.m. start time, before finishing out the regular season on Saturday at USciences.