Blue Volleyball Opens 2016 With 3-2 Win Over Plymouth St.

WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore Yasmine Reece (New Rochelle, N.Y.) had a match-high 21 kills and classmate Ashley Peng (San Diego, Calif.) added a match-best 17 digs to lead Wellesley College volleyball to a 3-2 (18-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-20, 15-11) comeback victory over Plymouth St. on Friday at the Brandeis Invitational. 

With the win, Wellesley opens the season at 1-0, while Plymouth St. start off the year at 0-1.

Reece finished with a double-double, collecting 11 digs to go along with a pair of solo blocks and a pair of aces. She also unleashed a match-high 69 attempts on attack. Sophomore Alex Kew (Winchester, Mass.) added seven kills for the Blue, while Peng chipped in with six. On defense, sophomores Samantha Hoang (Elk Grove, Calif.) and Michelle Li (Scarsdale, N.Y.) recorded 15 and 12 digs, respectively. Li also led all players with 29 assists. 

Senior Brianna Wojtas (Salem, N.H.) and junior Claire Sporer (Medford, Ore.) each finished in double figures on offense for Plymouth St., with Wojitas leading the Panthers with 11 kills and Claire Sporer finishing with 10. Claire Sporer also added 10 digs to record her first double-double of the year, finishing just behind Grace Sporer (Medford, Ore.), who collected a team-high 11. Junior Megan Bailey (Canterbury, N.H.) dished out a team-high 24 assists.

Plymouth St. opened the match with a 25-18 victory in the first set. The Panthers never trailed in the set, building on an early 10-4 lead to take the opener. Wellesley responded in the second set, shaking off a 19-13 Plymouth St. advantage to rally to take the game, 25-23.

The Panthers returned the favor in a tight third set, earning a 26-24 victory after the Blue rallied from a 17-11 deficit midway through the frame. The Blue got as close as 19-17, following a PSU error, but couldn't get over the top as the match progressed to the fourth set with Wellesley trailing 2-1.

Plymouth St. started the fourth game on a 7-2 run, eventually taking a 16-7 lead before Wellesley turned the match. Trailing 16-7, the Blue went on an 8-0 run to close the deficit to 16-15. An ace from Reece ultimately tied the set at 19-19 before Wellesley closed out a 25-20 victory to send the match to the deciding fifth set. 

In the fifth set, the Blue broke a 3-3 tie, taking the lead during a serving run from junior Alina Mota (Glendora, Calif.), before taking an 8-5 lead when Reece put down a kill on an assist from Li. After the teams switched sides, the Blue flew to a 15-11 victory, clinching the match on a kill from sophomore Samantha Ostenso (Hopkins, Minn.).

Wellesley and Plymouth St. return to Brandeis Saturday, September 3, for day two of the Brandeis Invitational. The Blue will play Johnson & Wales at 10:00 AM and the host Judges at 2:00 PM. Plymouth St. will also play Johnson & Wales, their match will follow Wellesley's at 12:00 PM.