Women's Volleyball Drops Home GNAC Contest to JWU Wednesday

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) volleyball team fell at home to Johnson & Wales University (JWU) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) match, 3-0, this evening inside the O'Connell Center in West Hartford.  

GAME INFORMATION 
Score: USJ 0, JWU 3 (19-25, 14-25, 17-25) 
Records: USJ (4-17, 1-7 GNAC), JWU (13-8, 7-1 GNAC) 
Location: O'Connell Athletic Center (West Hartford, Conn.)  

KEY MOMENTS 

• JWU opened the first set on a 7-1 run, taking the early lead. The Blue Jays would respond fast though, using a 7-3 stretch to cut the gap to 10-8. Fuelling the USJ run were two kills from sophomore Rachel Heaney (Torrington, Conn.). 

• USJ would continue to fight back, tying the first set at 11-11 following an error by JWU's Isabella Alfonso (San Juan, Puerto Rico). The two teams continued to trade points, playing out a 14-14 deadlock. From there, the wildcats exploded for a 5-0 run, retaking a 19-14 edge. 

• Kills from seniors Hannah Benson (Terryville, Conn.) and Shannon Carey (Bayport, N.Y) brought the Blue Jays back within two late, 20-18, but it would be the Wildcats that took the opening set, 25-19. 

• USJ and JWU battled back and forth in the second set as the score reached 4-4. JWU would quickly gain the advantage though, going on a 10-1 stretch, forcing two Blue Jays timeouts while taking a 15-5 edge. A String of Wildcats' errors would pull USJ back within seven, 16-9, but the deficit would prove too much as JWU took home the second set, 25-15. 

• JWU would take another early lead in the third set, jumping out to an 8-0 advantage. The Blue Jays would respond in kind, as kills by Carey, junior Victoria Adler (Berlin, Conn.) and three consecutive JWU attack errors brought USJ within three, 9-6. 

• The Wildcats' looked like they would reestablish their margin, regaining a 15-9 lead, but three more costly errors saw the gap shrink to 15-12. However, a 7-1 JWU run shortly followed, increasing the deficit to 22-13. 

• USJ looked to battle back late as Carey notched a pair of points off a kill and an ace, but JWU secured the final two points of the match, taking home the straight set victory. 

NOTES 

• Benson and Carey finished with a team-high seven kills each. 

• Junior setter Fernanda Ayala Rodriguez (San Juan, Puerto Rico) and senior setter Nicole Albert (Meriden, Conn.) were the primary playmakers, tallying nine assists each. 

• Rabassa paced the defense, recording a team-high 14 digs. 

• The Wildcats outhit the Blue Jays, 24.5% to 3.2%. 

• JWU extended their winning streak against USJ to 13 matches. 

UP NEXT 

Volleyball heads back on the road, embarking on a four-match road trip, starting at St. Joseph College of Maine on Saturday, October 22 for a GNAC tri-match against the Monks and Rivier College in Standish, Maine. First serve against the Raiders is set for 1:00 p.m., while the Blue Jays take on the Monks shortly afterwards at 3:00 p.m. 

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