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NEWARK, Del. - - The Wilmington University volleyball team snapped a three-match losing streak with a 3-1 nonconference victory over Bloomsburg on Thursday night inside the WU Athletics Complex.
Set scores for the match were 25-12, 23-25, 25-23, and 27-25.
After two matches with single digit total blocks, the arms at the net were back at it again on Thursday, finishing with 12 total blocks to go with a season high 77 digs to hold Bloomsburg to a .101 attack percentage.
The Wildcats raced out to a large lead in the first set, opening leads of 5-1 and 13-6. Leading 16-11, the Wildcats used an 8-0 run spanning a Bloomsburg timeout to open a 24-11 lead. Eliza Schneider put down her sixth kill of the game on set point, giving the Wildcats the 25-12 win.
Wilmington used a 6-0 run to take a 17-10 lead in the second set, but Bloomsburg roared back with a 7-1 run to get within 18-17. The Wildcats took a 22-19 lead but then the Huskies scored five straight to gain set point, 24-22. The Wildcats saved one set point before the Huskies tied the match, 1-1, with a 25-23 win.
The Huskies led 16-14 in the third set before a kill from Karalyn Osborne sparked a 7-1 run as the Wildcats took a 21-17 lead. Bloomsburg got to with 23-22, but an Alex Serna block gave the Wildcats set point. After the Huskies saves one set point, Alex Serna put down a kill to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead, 25-23.
Bloomsburg led for the majority of the fourth match, taking leads of 13-6 and then 17-11. Trailing 20-13, the Wildcats got back into the set with a 6-0 run, capped by back-to-back kills from Karla Nunez-Rivera to get within 20-19. The Huskies scored four of the next six points to earn set point, 24-21, but the Wildcats saved all three points, tying the game, 24-24. The Huskies earned another set point, 24-25, but a kill from Shannen Litten tied it again, 25-25. Eliza Schneider gave the Wildcats match point with a kill before a Husky error ended the match, 27-25.
Eliza Schneider led the Wildcats with 12 kills and seven digs. Karalyn Osborne had a near triple-double with nine kills, 11 assists, and 11 digs, adding four block assists as well. Shannen Litten and Alex Serna each had seven kills, hitting .314 between the two middles. Litten finished with six block assists while Serna added four block assists and one solo. Cam Justus dished out 15 assists while Gabby Barth led the back row with 30 digs. Crystal Creek led the charge at the net with seven block assists.
The Wildcats remain home for their third straight contest on Saturday as they kickstart the 2024 Homecoming Festivities with an 11:00 a.m. start against Felician at the WU Athletics Complex.