WORCESTER, Mass. – The Clark University volleyball team (1-17) traveled down Park Ave to take on Worcester State (7-16), won the first two sets, but dropped the final three sets from Brissette Court on Thursday night.  

The Cougars took the first set 25-22, won the second set 26-24, dropped the third set 29-27, fell 25-20 in the fourth set, and were edged 17-15 in the final set.

How it Happened

• The scarlet and white jumped out to a 7-2 lead sparked by two kills from junior Harper Chinn, a dual block by junior Winifred Gakidis and Chinn, and a service ace from junior Julia Dopazo.
• After the Lancers tied the set at 8-8, Clark went on a 7-5 run as Chinn, sophomore Isabella Alcott, and attack errors from Worcester State gave the scarlet and white a 15-12 advantage.
• Junior Katelyn Williams and Gakidis added a pair of kills before Alcott ended the set with two more and the final points of the set came from graduate student Isabella Smith off a feed from sophomore Hannah Harrington to seal a 25-22 victory.
• Clark held a 5-3 lead in the second set as Alcott posted a pair of kills and Dopazo added another service ace before kills from sophomore Abigail Venis, Smith, and Gakidis helped tie the set at 10-10 to help end the Lancers run.
• The teams traded the next 12 points as Alcott and Venis added more kills as the teams were tied 16-16 before the Lancers rattled off seven of the next 10 points as they took a 23-19 edge.
• Clark rallied to win the set by scoring seven of the final eight points sparked by kills from Smith and Dopazo as well as a combined block from Gakidis and Williams as the Cougars prevailed 26-24.
• The scarlet and white and Lancers opened the third set tied at 9-9 as Gakidis, Chinn, and Alcott combined for five kills.
• Alcott added three more kills before Gakidis tallied another service ace to push the Cougars advantage to 17-14, but the Lancers rattled off eight of the next 13 points to take a 22-19 edge, forcing Clark to use a timeout.
• The Cougars rallied again in the third set, to tie the match at 24-24 as Chinn and Alcott each registered kills and Chinn tallied a service ace, but the Lancers recorded a 29-27 victory sparked by kills from Paige Thomason and Cassandra Millea.
• Clark opened the fourth set on a 9-3 run as Dopazo and Gakidis combined for three service aces, while both Gakidis and Alcott registered kills.
• Worcester State rattled off five of the next six points despite another Alcott kill to pull within two at 10-8, but Clark rallied to tie the set at 13-13 as Alcott and Chinn each added kills.
• The Lancers scored the next six points to take a 19-13 edge and despite kills from Williams and Alcott over the remainder of the set, the home side took the fourth set 25-20.
• Gakidis and Chinn opened the deciding set with a block, but Worcester State scored six of the next eight points as Cassidy D'Esposito and Kate Stedronsky registered kills.
• A Lancer service error, Alcott kill, and Paige Thomason attack error helped Clark pull back within one at 7-6, but Worcester State scored the next two points to extend their lead.
• Chinn tallied three unanswered kills to tie the match at 10-10 and added another one to tie the set back up at 11-11.
• Chinn, Alcott, and Smith all tallied kills over the remainder of the set as the Lancers scored six of the final 10 points to win the match 17-15.

Inside the Box Score

• Clark recorded 47 kills, 43 assists, 96 digs, 10 service aces, and five blocks.
• Alcott led the Cougars with 22 kills and added 16 digs.
• Chinn finished second on the squad with 10 kills.
• Dopazo (23) and Harrington (14) led squad in assists.
• Liu tallied a team-high 30 digs.
• Gakidis registered four blocks.

What's Next
Clark will return to action on Saturday afternoon when they travel to SUNY New Paltz for matches against Montclair State and SUNY beginning at 1:30 p.m.