WORCESTER, Mass. – The Clark University volleyball team (5-16, 0-10 NEWMAC) hosted No. 22 Babson (21-5, 9-1 NEWMAC) for its penultimate NEWMAC match of the season. The Beavers used scoring runs in all three sets to pull away and secure a straight-set victory.
How it Happened
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It was a balanced start to the opening set, with senior Winifred Gakidis recording an early block and kills from juniors Isabella Alcott and Abigail Venis making it 7-5 in favor of Babson.
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The Beavers followed with a seven-point run to nearly build a double-digit lead, but a kill from Venis and two service aces from Alcott cut the deficit to six.
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First-year Addison Link, Alcott, and senior Katelyn Williams added late kills, but Babson pulled away to secure the opening set, 25-17.
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Clark jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the second set behind a service ace from senior Julia Dopazo. A kill by Alcott later tied the set at 4-4.
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Following another service ace from Alcott that cut the deficit to one, the Beavers scored nine consecutive points to take a 16-8 lead before a Williams kill halted the run.
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Babson continued to build its advantage from there, eventually securing a 25-14 victory in the second set.
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The Cougars secured four of the first six points in the third set, with a kill from first-year Cadence Martin capping the early run.
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Alcott added a kill and a service ace later in the set, while a kill from Venis followed by another Alcott ace tied the score at 9-9.
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Clark stayed within striking distance with kills from Link and Gakidis, along with a tandem block by the two. Dopazo added back-to-back service aces to cut the deficit to 16-15.
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A kill from Williams brought the Cougars within one again later in the set, but that was as close as they would get as Babson held on for a 25-19 set victory and the match.
Inside the Box Score
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The Cougars recorded 17 kills on 15 assists, along with 32 digs and eight service aces.
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Alcott turned in a well-rounded performance with five kills, five service aces, five digs, and two blocks.
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Senior Harper Chinn led the way defensively with a team-best 15 digs, marking her 15th match this season with double-digit digs.
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Venis was efficient on the attack, recording four kills on seven attempts without an error.
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Dopazo (8) and junior Hannah Harrington (7) led the Cougars in assists, with Dopazo also adding three service aces.
What's Next
The Scarlet and White prepare to celebrate Senior Day with a non-conference matchup against Skidmore at home on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.
