Lancers Face Strong Battle with MCLA in Conference Opener

Worcester, MA- Coming off a big sweep and a five set thriller to kick off the conference season the Worcester State Volleyball team (4-11, 1-1) is back on their home court to host their conference home opener over MCLA. In what has historically been a back and forth battle between these two teams, seeing them split the series over the last two years, the Lancers are aiming to grab the potential postseason edge tonight with a victory over the Trailblazers. Today's game was also played in honor of student-athlete Evan Armit who passed on August 24th after a courageous battle with melanoma.

Final

Worcester State: 1

MCLA: 3

How it Happened:

The Lancers came out firing, rallying behind a balanced attack and strong serving to capture the first set 26–24. Worcester State leaned on clutch plays late, with first year Reece Connors (Fresno, CA) claiming 13 digs, 6 assists and senior Paige Thomason (Hudson, MA) with 3 blocks and 3 kills sealing the opener with back-to-back kills to energize the home crowd.

Set two saw the Lancers once again in control early, fueled by a serving run from senior Cassandra Millea (Orange, CT) with 12 points, 6 aces and 10 digs. Worcester State built an 8–4 advantage behind Millea's aggressive service game and sophomore Kaitlyn Anthony's (Gastonia, NC) sharp hitting with 5 kills and .211 hitting pct., but MCLA clawed back late to take the frame 26–24.

The Trailblazers carried that momentum into set three, but the Lancers refused to quit. Senior Cassidy D'Esposito (Medford, NY) paced the attack with a team-high 9 kills, while senior Kate Stedronsky (Sea Girt, NJ) made her presence felt at the net with 2 solo blocks. Libero sophomore Katherine Crateau (North Andover, MA) anchored the back row with 16 digs and 3 service aces, keeping Worcester in rallies throughout the match.

In the fourth, Worcester once again stormed out to a 4–0 lead thanks to strong serving and kills from Anthony and Thomason. The Lancers fought point for point deep into the set, with D'Esposito and senior Michelle Iannacito (Bronx, NY) had 21 assists setting up crucial plays, but MCLA held on for the narrow 25–21 clincher.

As a team, Worcester totaled 59 digs and 13 service aces, showcasing toughness on defense and from the service line.

What's Next:

The Lancers (4-11, 1-2) step back out of conference this weekend as they head to MIT for their MIT tri-match that will see them meet additionally with Mount Holyoke with matches at 3 and 5pm.