BOSTON, Mass. - The Norwich University women's volleyball team competed in a pair of matches at the Jean Yawkey Center on Saturday afternoon, dropping a 3-1 non-conference decision to Massachusetts Maritime Academy before falling to host Emmanuel College, 3-0, in Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) action.
The Cadets opened the afternoon by taking the first set from Massachusetts Maritime, 25-23, before the Buccaneers answered with victories of 25-14, 25-17, and 25-17. Norwich then closed the tri-match against the Saints, falling by scores of 25-14, 25-16, and 25-16.
Massachusetts Maritime 3, Norwich 1
Grace Davie (Lynnfield, Mass.) led the Cadets offensively with a team-high 10 kills while adding five digs and one service ace. Ainslee Vargas (Rusk, Texas) directed the Norwich attack with 21 assists and posted a double-double with 15 digs, while also contributing three kills and a service ace.  Kelsey Slane (West Sand Lake, N.Y.) paced the defensive effort with 15 digs and five assists. Vanessa Whitmill (Fremont, Calif.) added three kills, four service aces, and seven digs, while Aylei Connolly (Westfield, Mass.) recorded five kills.
Taylor "Rae" Lawing (Allen, Texas) chipped in four kills and two solo blocks, while Isabella Vasapolli (Pepperell, Mass.) contributed four kills and four digs.
Norwich finished the match with 32 kills, 30 assists, seven service aces, 58 digs, and two total blocks. Massachusetts Maritime compiled 41 kills, 37 assists, 13 service aces, and 59 digs in the victory.
The opening set developed into a back-and-forth battle from the start. Norwich scored the first two points before Massachusetts Maritime answered, and neither side was able to create much separation through the middle of the frame. Kills from Davie, Connolly, Lawing, Vargas, and Vasapolli helped Norwich remain in front at several points, while the teams eventually found themselves tied at 19-19 and again at 20-20.
The Buccaneers moved ahead, 21-20, but Norwich responded with a Davie kill before Vasapolli followed with another to give the Cadets a 22-21 advantage. After Massachusetts Maritime tied the frame once more, Whitmill delivered a kill and a Buccaneer attack error brought Norwich to set point at 24-22. Massachusetts Maritime fought off the first opportunity, but Davie answered with the final kill to secure the 25-23 opening-set victory.
Massachusetts Maritime answered in the second set, building momentum behind a balanced offensive effort. Davie produced four kills in the frame, while Vargas, Lawing, and Elexis Powell (Charlotte Hall, Md.) also found the floor. Norwich pulled within 10-8 following a Connolly service ace and later received another Lawing kill, but the Buccaneers steadily created separation before securing a 25-14 win to even the match.
The Cadets responded strongly after an early Massachusetts Maritime push in the third. After falling behind 3-0, Norwich answered behind service aces from Whitmill and Davie and a Vasapolli kill to take a 5-4 lead. The Buccaneers later pushed ahead, 11-5, before Powell, Vargas, Connolly, and Vasapolli helped Norwich work its way back into the frame. Whitmill supplied another service ace during a four-point Cadet run that trimmed the deficit to 17-14, and Norwich later pulled within 20-17. Massachusetts Maritime, however, scored the final five points to take the set, 25-17, and move ahead, 2-1.
Norwich jumped ahead early in the fourth set behind back-to-back Whitmill kills and another ace from the sophomore, taking a 4-2 advantage. Massachusetts Maritime responded with a lengthy surge to take control, eventually moving ahead, 17-10. The Cadets refused to go quietly. Davie recorded consecutive kills before Whitmill followed with another finish, an ace, and an assist on a Powell kill as Norwich rattled off five straight points to pull within 17-15. The Buccaneers halted the rally and regained control from there, closing the frame on an 8-2 run to take the set, 25-17, and the match in four.
Emmanuel 3, Norwich 0
Norwich returned to the floor later in the afternoon for GNAC action against host Emmanuel. Connolly paced the Cadets offensively with a team-high seven kills while hitting an efficient .417. She also added two digs for Norwich. Vargas directed the Norwich offense with nine assists and four digs, while Lawing contributed three kills, two service aces, and a block assist.
Whitmill filled the stat sheet with two kills, two service aces, three digs, and two total blocks, including Norwich's lone solo block. Slane led the back row with five digs and added a service ace, while Davie chipped in a kill, a service ace, and a dig. Norwich totaled 13 kills, 11 assists, six service aces, 16 digs, and two total blocks in the match. Emmanuel held advantages in kills, 32-13, service aces, 16-6, and digs, 22-16, while hitting .323 as a team.
The Cadets battled through the early stages of the opening set, receiving kills from Whitmill and Connolly before Emmanuel used an extended run to build a 15-5 advantage. Norwich mounted a response late in the frame. Davie broke the run with a kill before Lawing delivered a kill and back-to-back service aces. Connolly followed with another finish as the Cadets pulled within 20-12. The Saints maintained control down the stretch, however, and secured the opening set, 25-14.
In the second set, Norwich answered an early Emmanuel run with consecutive points to pull within 4-3. Lawing produced a kill during the stretch before Connolly later added another to keep the Cadets within striking distance. Trailing 11-7, Slane recorded a service ace to pull Norwich within three, but Emmanuel responded with a 12-2 run to create separation. The Cadets closed the frame with a strong push, scoring three straight points behind a Whitmill kill and a pair of Saints errors before Emmanuel secured the 25-16 decision and a two-set advantage.
The third set featured Norwich's most competitive stretch of the match. The Cadets battled back to a 6-6 tie behind a Whitmill service ace and several Emmanuel errors before the Saints pushed ahead midway through the frame. Norwich again answered. A Lawing kill sparked another push, and after falling behind 16-10, Connolly delivered a kill before Whitmill helped engineer a four-point run that included another service ace, bringing the Cadets within 16-14. Connolly added another kill later to make it 19-15, but Emmanuel closed out the match by taking six of the final seven points for a 25-16 victory.
Emmanuel was led by Kason Huynh with eight kills, while Letitia Bossou posted seven kills on eight swings for a .750 hitting percentage. Addy Fry distributed a team-high 13 assists as the Saints secured the conference victory.
The Cadets will return to action on Tuesday, Oct. 6, traveling to Salem State University for a 6:00 p.m. non-conference match. Norwich will then resume GNAC play on Saturday, Oct. 10, when it travels to Elms College.
