Worcester, Mass. – Visiting Western Connecticut used a balanced offensive attack and the Colonials posted a convincing 3-0 win over Clark University in non-league volleyball action on Thursday evening at the Kneller Athletic Center. Game scores were 25-9, 25-14 and 25-20.

With the win WCSU improves to 17-11, while Clark sees its brief two-match winning streak come to an end and now sits at 10-14.

WCSU rolled to a convincing win in game one, racing out to an 18-4 lead before settling for a 25-6 decision.

Game two started out with the Colonials taking a 6-1 lead before Clark ran off four straight points to close to within one, but Western then went one a 7-0 run to move to 13-5. That edge ballooned to 18-7 before WCSU settled for a 25-14 win.

The third and final set saw the Cougars take an early 5-3 lead and Clark still had a 13-12 edge midway through the game. The Colonials, however, went on another run – this one a 10-3 spurt – to take a commanding 22-16 lead.

The Scarlet and White made one final push, getting as close as four points, but Western took the match with a 25-20 third set victory.

Clark was paced offensively by freshman Shannon Glass-Smythe (Albuquerque, N.M.) who ended with a team-high nine kills, while Mel Conde (Union City, Calif.) and the Cougars' lone senior, Katie Freaney (Old Lyme, Conn.) chipped in with ten and nine digs, respectively.

Western was led by a six-kill performance from Melanie Lombardi (Danbury, Conn.) and a five-kill, 12-dig showing from Nina Wojtkiewicz (Griswold, Conn.).  Sophomore Jennifer Hogan (Franklin Square, N.Y.) added 25 assists and a match-high six service aces.

Already assured of the No. 2 spot in the upcoming Little East Conference tournament, the Colonials with host a tri-match on Saturday that features both UMass-Dartmouth and Connecticut College to end its regular season.

Clark, meanwhile, travels to Babson to face the Beavers on Saturday in their final match of 2012.