NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Norwich University women's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to Albertus Magnus College on Wednesday evening in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action at the Cosgrove Marcus Messer Center. The Falcons claimed the match by set scores of 25-18, 25-16, and 25-20.
Charlotte Johnson (Moultonborough, N.H.) led Norwich with a team-high five kills while posting an impressive .556 hitting percentage. Johnson committed no errors across nine attacks and also added a pair of service aces.
Grace Davie (Lynnfield, Mass.) contributed two kills, three service aces, four digs, and a block assist, while Aylei Connolly (Westfield, Mass.) finished with three kills, one ace, and three digs.
The Cadets received balanced play from their setters, as Vanessa Whitmill (Fremont, Calif.) recorded six assists, three kills, two service aces, and three digs, while Ainslee Vargas (Rusk, Texas) added six assists, two kills, and a team-high eight digs.
Defensively, Kelsey Slane (West Sand Lake, N.Y.) supplied five digs and two service aces. Elexis Powell (Charlotte Hall, Md.) chipped in a kill and a block assist, while Josephine Whitney (Monroe, N.H.) saw action during the final two sets.
Norwich battled throughout a competitive opening set that featured seven ties. After falling behind, 14-9, the Cadets rattled off five consecutive points behind Davie's serve. Davie delivered three aces during the run, while a Connolly kill and an Albertus Magnus attack error helped Norwich erase the deficit and pull even at 14-14.
The teams remained deadlocked as late as 18-18 after a Vargas kill, but the Falcons responded by scoring the final seven points of the frame to take the opener, 25-18.
Norwich came out quickly in the second set, using back-to-back Whitmill service aces and kills from Johnson and Vargas to build an early 4-1 advantage. The teams continued to trade points through much of the frame before Albertus Magnus gradually established a 15-11 edge.
The Cadets responded with a late push, receiving a Davie kill and a combined block from Davie and Powell as Norwich trimmed the deficit to 17-15. Albertus Magnus answered, however, scoring eight of the final nine points to secure a 25-16 victory and a two-set lead.
Norwich produced its strongest offensive stretch of the night in the third set, which featured 10 ties and seven lead changes.
Johnson, Connolly, and Whitmill all found the floor during a tightly contested opening stretch, while service aces from Connolly, Slane, and Johnson helped Norwich stay even with the Falcons. The Cadets remained within a point at 15-14 following a Connolly kill before Albertus Magnus began to create separation.
Norwich continued to battle, pulling within 21-19 late in the frame following an Albertus Magnus attack error, but the Falcons claimed four of the final five points to close out the match with a 25-20 third-set victory.
As a team, Norwich finished with 16 kills, 15 assists, 10 service aces, 26 digs, and one total block. Albertus Magnus totaled 37 kills and hit .286 for the match while also recording 46 digs and eight service aces.
The Cadets will return to Andrews Gymnasium on Friday, Oct. 23, welcoming Simmons University for a 6:00 p.m. GNAC matchup to open Parents & Family Weekend.
Friday's contest will also serve as Senior Day, with Norwich recognizing its senior class prior to the match.
