Wellesley Volleyball Falls to UMass Dartmouth, 3-0

WELLESLEY, Mass. – Senior Maggie Sullivan (Acton, Mass.) finished with a game-high 12 kills and sophomore Emily Pogorelec (Wayne, N.J.) registered 20 digs to lift UMass Dartmouth to a 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 26-24) victory over Wellesley College volleyball in the season opener for both teams on Friday evening at Dorothy Towne Fieldhouse. 

Wellesley sophomore Kaija Kunze-Hoeg (Eagan, Minn.) recorded a game-high 22 digs to lead the Blue (0-1). First year Kate Giang (Corte Madera, Calif.) had 11 kills in her collegiate debut for Wellesley. 

The Corsairs (1-0) never trailed in a tight first set. A three-point run fueled by a pair of kills by Sullivan pushed UMass Dartmouth to a 25-20 win in the opener. The visitors got out to a 15-7 advantage in the second set before Wellesley rallied to score seven of the next eight points to make the score 16-14. However, Wellesley would get no closer than the two-point deficit as UMass Dartmouth again found separation late thanks to Sullivan. The senior scored three of the final four Corsair points in the set to clinch a 25-19 victory. 

Wellesley took an early lead in the third with the Blue bringing the score to 11-4 before UMass Dartmouth won four straight points to close the gap. The teams traded points, with Wellesley up 18-14 before the Corsairs tightened the Blue lead to one, at 19-18. A Wellesley kill from first year Evelyn Hill (Rocklin, Calif.) gave Wellesley a 23-21 advantage before the Corsairs won the final five points of the set for a 3-0 victory.

The Blue return to action tomorrow against Regis at 10:00 AM and Colby-Sawyer at 12:00 PM at the Roger Williams Invitational in Bristol, R.I. The Corsairs take on Salve Regina 10:00 AM and Brandeis at 12:00 PM tomorrow at the Brandeis Invitational in Waltham, Mass.