Outside Attack Powers Wellesley Volleyball Past Endicott to Open 2018

BEVERLY, Mass. -- Outside hitters Lauren Gedney (Huntersville, N.C.) and Nicole Doerges (San Marino, Calif.) combined for 30 kills to help power Wellesley College volleyball past Endicott College, 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 25-20), in the season opener for both squads on Friday afternoon at MacDonald Gymnasium.

Gedney registered a match-high 16 kills on 34 attempts, hitting .294 with 3 block assists. Doerges racked-up 14 kills in her collegiate debut, hitting a match-high .371 on 34 attempts with just one attack error. The first year outside hitter also finished with seven digs and three service aces. Senior Samantha Hoang (Elk Grove, Calif.) finished with 17 digs to pace the Blue defense. She now stands just eight digs shy of 1,000 in her Wellesley career. Senior setter Michelle Li (Scarsdale, N.Y.) totaled 36 assists to lead the Blue. 

Senior Emma Mancini (Lynnfield, Mass.) recorded a double-double to lead Endicott, finishing with 15 kills and 10 digs. Junior Remi Quesnelle (Sunderland, Mass.) joined Mancini in double-figures on offense with 10 kills. On defense, junior Mackenzie Kennedy (Andover, Mass.) finished with a team-high 16 digs, while junior Zoey Gifford (Natick, Mass.) added 12 digs and a match-high 42 assists. 

Wellesley opened the match with their best offense output of the day, hitting .278 with 13 kills to edge the Gulls, 25-23, in the opening set. Endicott rallied in the second set, jumping to a 12-8 lead, following a Wellesley error, before going on to stretch the advantage to 21-15. The Gulls never trailed in game two, closing out a 25-21 win on a kill from junior Alex Dippel (Fallston, Md.). 

With the match tied 1-1, Wellesley broke a 20-20 tie late in the third set to take a 2-1 advantage. The Blue scored five unanswered points to end the third set, including the clincher on a kill from senior Samantha Ostenso (Hopkins, Minn.). Endicott countered by taking a 10-5 lead to open the fourth set, but the Blue chipped away at the deficit and eventually took a 13-12 lead following back-to-back blocks at the net by Gedney and sophomore Molly Weik (Seattle, Wash.). Endicott never regained the lead after that point in the match as Wellesley closed out the win with a 25-21 set victory.

Wellesley returns home to host Suffolk next Friday at 7:00 PM. Endicott will take on Lawrence and Skidmore tomorrow at the Springfield Invitational.