Blue Volleyball Shakes Off Slow Start, Rallies To Defeat UMass Boston, 3-2

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- Wellesley College volleyball celebrated the inauguration of Dr. Paula Johnson as Wellesley's 14 President on Friday night with a 3-2 victory over UMass Boston at Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse. The Blue rebounded from a slow start, making key plays at key times to earn a 7-25, 25-21, 16-25, 25-20, 17-15 win.

Just hours following the inauguration festivities on campus, the Blue earned a gutsy non-conference victory over the region's top-ranked team to improve to 11-6 on the season. The Beacons now stand at 11-2 following their first loss to a team in the New England region.

Wellesley sophomore Yasmine Reece (New Rochelle, N.Y.) led all players with 15 kills, seven blocks and one ace. Sophomore Ashley Peng (San Diego, Calif.) came off the bench to record a career-high 13 kills and two blocks, while first year Kennedy Ulfig (Saline, Mich.) hammered 10 kills. First year Meghan Shoop (Cypress, Calif.) anchored the Blue's floor defense with 14 digs, while sophomore Michelle Li (Scarsdale, N.Y.) distributed 46 assists in the win.

UMass Boston seniors Colleen Koen (Centerville, Mass.) and Julia Murphy (Canton, Mass.) led the Beacon attack with 14 kills apiece. Murphy also recorded three aces and two blocks in the match. Eileen Shi (San Francisco, Calif.) added 11 kills, 14 digs, and three aces, while Rachel Maslach (Berlin Center, Ohio) chipped in 7 kills. Senior libero Elizabeth Glavan (Edina, Minn.) had a solid night as well, leading all players with 18 digs, while tallying five assists and two aces in the effort. Christina Elliott (Camas, Wash.) and Pepper Baker (Tallahassee, Fla.) shared the setting duties, combining for 42 assists in the loss. 

The Beacons opened the match with a dominant first set performance, hitting .500 as a team while committing just one error in a 25-8 rout of the Blue. UMass Boston ran out to a 12-1 edge to open the set, before the Blue were able to close the game to 14-6. Wellesley managed just two more points, as the Beacons closed out the game, thanks to Wellesley's 12th error of the frame, at 25-8. 

The second set followed the same pattern, to start. With Shi at the service line, the Beacons took a 7-0 lead. However, this time the Blue responded with a 7-0 run to tie the match.  A Blue service error broke the string, but Wellesley followed with five more points to take a 12-8 edge.  UMass Boston fought back to tie the game three times, but back-to-back Beacon blunders to close out the set gave the Blue a 25-21 win.

With the match tied 1-1, neither side found separation in the third set until Murphy capped a 4-0 UMass Boston run with an ace to make the score 12-7.  The Blue closed the score to 12-11, thanks to two errors and two kills from Peng, but would get no closer. A kill from Shi made the score 17-11 at the end of a 5-0 UMass Boston run. The Beacons would go on to close out the 25-16 win, with Shi also putting down the final point.

Wellesley broke a 16-16 tie with a 4-0 run to take control midway through the fourth set. The Beacons would rally to within two, making the score 21-19 following a Blue error, but Wellesley would ultimately force the fifth and deciding game thanks to a pair of late kills from Reece, including the final of the set, to take the 25-20 final.

Just as they did in the opening four sets, the teams went back-and-forth in the fifth game, trading points until the score reached 6-6. Back-to-back kills from Reece and Shoop gave Wellesley the 8-6 edge, but UMass Boston was quick to counter, rallying to take a 9-8 lead. A kill from Peng made the score 9-9, as the team's went back-and-forth again over the next 12 points to tie the match at 15-all. An ace from Ulfig and a Beacon error ultimately capped the Blue comeback with a 17-15 fifth set victory.

The Blue take the weekend off, then return to action on Tuesday, October 4, at 7:00 PM, when the face MIT in a key NEWMAC showdown. The Beacons return to action tomorrow at 11:00 AM, when they host Babson College in another non-conference match.