NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University volleyball team snapped a four-match losing streak with a much-needed 3-1 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference South Division victory over Chestnut Hill on Thursday night at the WU Athletics Complex.
Set scores for the match were 20-25, 25-22, 25-18, and 25-11.
The block came alive for the Wildcats (11-12, 5-5 CACC), putting down 14 block and holding the Griffins (7-12, 6-4 CACC) to hitting just .048 for the match.
An 8-1 run turned the first set around for the Griffins, taking a 20-15 lead. Another 4-0 run gave the Griffins set point, 24-18, before a kill gave the visitors the first set, 25-20.
Chestnut Hill started fast in the second set, but the Wildcats started to fight back. A 10-4 run gave the Wildcats a 12-11 lead and then another 3-0 spurt, capped by a solo block from Karalyn Osborne, gave the Wildcats an 18-16 lead. The Griffins scored back-to-back points to get within 22-21, but then a Brice Hansen kill and a Griffins error gave the Wildcats set points, 24-21. Shannen Litten tied the match, 1-1, with a kill, 25-22.
Leading 14-12 in the third set, the Wildcats used a 6-1 run to gain a20-13 lead, capped by a block from Katie Bushong and Shannen Litten. The Griffins clawed to within 20-16 and again to 22-18, but then the Wildcats scored the final three points to win the set, including a set point block from Sydney Barrett, 25-18.
Chestnut Hill scored the first three point of the fourth set, but then it was all Wilmington, as they quickly tied the game, 3-3. Chestnut Hill took a brief 4-3 lead but then the Wildcats rattled off the next 10 points, forcing Chestnut Hill to call both of their timeouts, 13-4. Karalyn Osborne had a hand in three of the four points in a 4-0 run to lead 17-6. Another 4-0 run gave the Wildcats a 21-8 lead and back-to-back kills from Sydney Barrett gave the Wildcats match point, 24-10. A service error ended the match for the Wildcats, 25-11. The Wildcats hit .419 as a team in the fourth set.
Brice Hansen led the Wildcats with 16 kills and 20 digs while hitting .212 for the match. Shannen Litten had eight kills and five blocks while Sydney Barrett finished with seven kills and five digs. Karalyn Osborne added six kills and a match high six blocks. Elly Collins led with 23 digs while Claudia Melendez chipped in with 10 digs.
The Wildcats travel to North Jersey for their next CACC match, taking on Felician on Saturday afternoon. The first serve is set for 1:00 p.m.
