NEWPORT, R.I. – Wellesley College volleyball swept Salve Regina University 3-0 (26-24, 25-20, 25-19) in a NEWMAC showdown inside Rodgers Recreation Center.
The Blue's (8-4 Overall, 2-2 NEWMAC) kills leader was first-year Delia Noel (Telluride, Colo.) with 13. Junior Else Kunze-Hoeg (Eagan, Minn.) led the way with 26 assists and three blocks while senior Caroline Meyer (Indianapolis, Ind.) scooped up 12 digs and served three aces.
The Seahawks (5-10 Overall, 1-2 NEWMAC) earned eight kills by way of junior Anouk Jansen (Queen Creek, Ariz.), 13 assists from junior Kalena Stavish (Upper Saddle Ridge, N.J.) and eight digs by junior Lauren Shurling (Hudson, Mass.).
The first set played very even, with neither squad able to shake off its foe. At 23-23, a bad set gave Wellesley its first set point. However, Salve Regina forced an attack error to knot it back up at 24s. A critical Blue kill from senior Evie Hill (Rocklin, Calif.) was followed by an attack error as Wellesley outlasted Salve, 26-24. Noel recorded seven kills and five digs in the frame.
The second set followed the same close script. A key 3-0 run put Wellesley up 19-16. The Seahawks couldn't get the set back within two points as a pair of Meyer aces put the set out of reach for a 2-0 lead.
Wellesley dominated the early stages of the third set and finished the frame with 13 kills and a .241 hitting percentage to get the team its eighth victory of the season.
Up next, the Blue will return to Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse on Tuesday, October 3 at 7:00 PM for a NEWMAC showdown with Coast Guard Academy. That same day, Salve Regina will play a 6:00 PM NEWMAC match at MIT.
