Box Score THE BASICS
-Score: Clark University 3, Western New England University 1
-Records: Clark (7-7), Western New England (5-10)
-Location: Worcester, Mass. (Kneller Athletic Center)
-The Lead: The Clark University volleyball team outlasted the Golden Bears of Western New England University on Thursday evening in non-conference action (25-18, 15-25, 25-18, 25-18).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Clark was able to gain separation with a 6-1 run early in the first set as the Cougars claimed a 10-5 lead. The home team eventually stretched its lead to ten (20-10), before holding off a late Western New England rally to claim a 25-18 triumph.
Western New England bounced back in the second set, as the Golden Bears posted a .577 hitting percentage with 16 kills and one error in 26 attempts. The visitors pulled away down the stretch and evened the match with a 25-15 win.
Clark raced out to an 11-3 advantage in the third frame and the Golden Bears were unable to overcome the deficit as the Cougars took a 2-1 set lead.
Western New England established an 8-2 lead early in the fourth set, but Clark slowly chipped away and closed the gap late in the frame. Trailing 18-17, the Cougars posted an 8-0 run to close out the set and the match.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
-Clark was powered by junior Corina Picon (Irvington, N.Y.), who hit .533 with a match-high 18 kills. Senior Ana Patricia Mercado (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) chipped in with 12 kills, and senior Rachel Webb (Celina, Texas) handed out 38 assists.
-Junior Ashley Matthews (Salem, N.H.) led the Golden Bears with a team-high 15 kills to go with eight digs, while sophomore Hailey McDonnell (Methuen, Mass.) added 11 kills and sophomore Jenna M
UP NEXT
-The Cougars welcome Rhode Island College and Bridgewater State for a tri-match on Saturday, September 29th starting at 11:00 a.m.
-Western New England returns home on Saturday to host Westfield State and Eastern Connecticut for a tri-match at the Alumni Healthful Living Center.
