Springfield Downs Blue Volleyball, 3-0

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Sophomore Riley Donahue (South Windsor, Conn.) recorded 15 kills to lead Springfield to a 3-0 (25-11, 25-22, 25-11) New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory over Wellesley College volleyball on Saturday at Blake Arena.

First year setter Megan Kirtyan (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) racked up 30 assists for the Pride (7-1 overall, 2-0 NEWMAC), while first year Kaija Kunze-Hoeg (Eagan, Minn.) had a team-high 10 digs for the Blue (3-5 Overall, 0-2 NEWMAC).

With Donahue leading the charge, the Pride put up 43 total kills, with four players recording at least five kills. Graduate student libero Ally Townsend (Hummelstown, Pa.) also provided 21 digs for the hosts.

Sophomore Jennifer Yu (Shanghai, China) led the Blue with nine kills. Junior Kate Salembier (Sierra Madre, Calif.) added four kills and five digs, while senior TylerBell Smith (Frisco, Texas), sophomore Rachel Xu (Beijing, China), and first year Kennedy Mayo (Long Branch, N.J.) each had three kills of their own. 

Springfield cruised to a 25-11 win in the first set. The Blue found more success in the second set, using an early 6-0 run to open up a 9-3 lead. However, Springfield would regain their footing and even up the set at 12-12 before going on to take a tight 25-22 win. The final set saw the teams trade points early until Springfield took a 7-6 lead. Now leading, the Pride used a seven point run to put the set out of reach before sealing another 25-11 set win and a 3-0 match win.

Both teams continue NEWMAC play on Tuesday at 7:00 PM. The Blue head to MIT and the Pride will play at Babson.