NEWARK, Del. - - In a winner-take -all contest with a trip to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament on the line, Goldey-Beacom outlasted the Wilmington University volleyball team, 3-2, in the regular season finale on Saturday afternoon at the WU Athletics Complex.
Set scores for the Wildcats were 23-25, 25-20, 17-25, 26-24, and 11-15.
In her final collegiate contest, Alex Serna broke the Wilmington blocks record in a single match, collecting 13 block assists and two solo blocks for 15 total. The 13 block assists is also a single-match record, breaking the mark of 10 by Angel Oliver (2021) and Brittany Biddle (2012). The 15 total blocks break the mark of 13 set by Katie Shorter (2012) and Angel Oliver (2021).
The Wildcats denied 24 attempts by the Lightning at the net, also setting a new single-match team record for blocks in a match.
The win gives the Lightning (15-14, 8-8 CACC) a berth into the CACC Tournament as the fourth seed in the South Division. They will travel to North Division Regular Season Champion Post on Tuesday night in the First Round. The loss ends the Wildcats season with an 11-20 overall record, going 6-10 in CACC play.
The Wildcats were first to 20 in the first set, getting a block from Ally Jonika and Karalyn Osborne to lead 20-17. But the Lightning answered with four straight to take the lead, 21-20. The Wildcats responded with back-to-back points to again lead, 22-21, but the Lightning answered right back with back-to-back points to lead, 23-22. The Wildcats tied the set, 23-23, but the Lightning took the set with back-to-back points, 25-23.
The Wildcats raced out to a 9-3 lead in the second set and then another 6-2 run gave the Wildcats a 15-9 lead. The Wildcats used another 4-1 spurt to take a 22-15 lead and then got kills from Serna for set point and Eliza Schneider for the win, 25-20.
A 13-6 rally saw the Wildcats comeback and take a 17-16 lead in the third set, but the Lightning answered by not allowing the Wildcats another point, going on a 9-0 run to take the third set, 25-17.
Wilmington grabbed a 9-4 lead in the fourth set, but the Lightning went on a 9-2 run to take a 13-11 advantage. With the set tied, 18-18, the Wildcats scored four straight, getting back-to-back kills from Karla Nunez-Rivera to lead 22-18. Trailing 23-19, the Lightning gained match point with a 5-0 run, but the Wildcats saved the match points and then got a block, and a Serna kill to force a fifth set, 26-24.
Karla Nunez-Rivera put down a kill in the fifth set as Wilmington trailed, 6-4. The Lightning then rattled off five straight to make it 11-4. Out of a timeout, the Wildcats got a kill from Nunez-Rivera and then used a Karalyn Osborne service run for a 6-0 spurt, getting to within a point, 11-10. The teams split the next two points, 12-11, but then the Lightning scored the final three points, ending the match with a block, 15-11.
Alex Serna added 15 kills while hitting .310 in the match, picking up five digs and an ace for a team high 24.5 points. Eliza Schneider put down 15 kills while adding 11 digs for the double-double and Karla Nunez-Rivera added 10 kills and seven digs. Karalyn Osborne had 23 assists and 11 total blocks of her own, adding 10 digs for the triple-double. Claudia Melendez led the team with 19 assists and 19 digs.
