Women's Volleyball Defeated By Mt. Aloysius, Elmira

ELMIRA, N.Y. – The Wells College women's volleyball team posted a 3-2 loss to Mt. Aloysius College before falling to the hosts from Elmira College on Friday at Speidel Gymnasium. The losses drop Wells to 2-5 overall on the year while Mt. Aloysius and Elmira both remain undefeated following the doubleheader.

The Express went the distance against Mt. Aloysius, posting a five-set loss by scores of 25-17, 25-27, 23-25, 25-12 and 12-15. Versus Elmira, Wells was defeated by a 3-1 margin after falling behind 2-0 (25-16, 26-24). The Express rallied for a solid 25-16 third set win, but the hosts knocked off the visitors by a 25-14 score in the fourth and final set.

Wells fired off an impressive 142 attacks against Mt. Aloysius, but the Mounties posted 83 digs that included a team-leading 34 from Brenna Wright. Senior Vashti Nettles (Long Beach, Calif.) racked up 13 kills while committing only two errors for a team-leading .355 attacking percentage (min. 20 attacks). Sophomore Eliza Schwab (Hartland, N.Y.) set up 31 of her team's 39 kills and classmate Olyvia Brazier (Stony Brook, N.Y.) led the way with 14 digs.

Against Elmira, Wells had edges in several offensive categories but the Soaring Eagles recorded eight more kills and posted 12 service aces as opposed to only four for the Express. While dig totals were nearly even, Wells posted an impressive 16 block assists to set a single-match program record.

Despite seemingly similar cumulative statistical totals, Elmira capitalized on brief stretches of Wells miscues to capture the match. In the first set, Amanda Blinkinsop led a stretch of four-straight points that concluded with a 19-10 score near the midpoint of the match.

The second set against Elmira slipped away from the Express after rallying to tie the stanza at 21 aside. A service error by Wells placed Elmira up 22-21 and a kill from Natalie Schieder placed the Soaring Eagles up 23-21. Leading 24-23 later in the set, a kill from Ashley Heiman preceded an attacking error by Wells to put the hosts up 2-0.

The Express answered strongly in the fourth set, going on several big runs that allowed the team to hammer home 15 kills and commit only three attacking errors on 31 total swings. Nettles tallied seven of her 16 kills in the third set alone, leading the charge for Wells. Elmira, however, built up a large lead that reached its peak at 21-12 and never looked back.

Wells returns to action Saturday, Sept. 12 as they face-off against the host Bombers of Ithaca College before playing Alfred at 2 p.m.