LYNDONVILLE, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's volleyball team coasted to a 3-0 victory on Wednesday evening, topping in-state foe Vermont State University Lyndon in straight sets at Stannard Gymnasium.
The Spartans (6-9) racked up 39 kills in the 25-11, 25-8, 25-12 victory, their most in a three-set match this season. The team's .306 hitting percentage was also its highest of the year. VTSU Castleton also amassed 15 service aces and had 51 total digs in the match. 34 of 39 kills were assisted.
Hailey Martinovich powered the offense with 13 kills, followed by
Jocelyn Ray's 10 kills on the night.
Madison Sheehan and Cailtin Mahoney logged four aces apiece, and
Sophia Call racked up 14 digs. Mahoney and
Isabella Luna had 11 digs each.
Kate Chapman added five kills and
Moriah Normandin had three digs and two aces for Castleton.
Maddie Delsignore finished the night with 33 assists—her sixth 30-assist game of the season and the second-most assists in a three-set match in program history.
Four different players have kills for the Hornets (0-15). Kiara Mack had a kill, an ace and a solo block for a team-leading three points on the night. Charlotte Morris finished with seven digs and Leilani Medina added six.
The Spartans opened the night with four unanswered points thanks to three kills and an ace. A five-point run later in the set that featured kills from Sheehan and Chapman extended the lead to 15-6 in favor of VTSU Castleton. The Spartans scored the final five points of the set thanks to strong service by Mahoney that resulted in two aces and two Spartan kills for a 25-11 win in set one.
VTSU Lyndon got on the board first in the second set, but Castleton bounced back with three straight points. The Hornets tied the score at 3-3 after back-to-back points of their own, but Castleton again responded with a four-point spurt to go ahead 7-3. Martinovich, Sheehan and Mahoney all registered kills during the brief run before Lyndon got a point back for a 7-4 score. VTSU Castleton heated up from there, scoring 14 unanswered points behind Mahoney's service en route to a 21-4 lead in the middle frame. The stretch featured seven Spartan kills, five of which came from the right arm of Martinovich. The Hornets collected the next three points, but Castleton closed out the set on top 25-8, capped by an ace from Sheehan.
After trading points back-and-forth in the early portion of the third set, VTSU Castleton used a five-point run to open up a 12-6 lead. Two kills and two aces put space between the teams, but VTSU Lyndon once again battled back with a pair of points. The Spartans then rattled off another five unanswered points to take a commanding 17-8 lead. A third five-point run in the set made it 22-9 thanks to a trio of kills from Ray during the stretch. Chapman, Ray and Martinovich closed out the night with consecutive kills to finish the third set on top 25-12.
The Spartans are back in action with a home tri-match on Saturday. Castleton takes on UMass Dartmouth at 11 a.m., followed by a neutral-site match between UMD and Rivier at 1 p.m. The Spartans round out the day against Rivier at 3 p.m. at Glenbrook Gym.
