CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's volleyball team split its home tri-match Saturday afternoon. The Spartans fell 3-0 to Little East Conference opponent UMass Dartmouth, and won 3-0 over Massachusetts Maritime Academy. 

The Spartans (11-11) were powered by 15 kills from Jocelyn Ray and 11 from Kaitlyn Chapman. Alondra Rojas dished out 51 assists, one service ace, and 18 digs throughout both matches. Nicolette Vaughn led the Spartan defense with 21 digs, contributing three aces. Olivia Smith put up six blocks through the two matches.  

UMass Dartmouth 3, VTSU Castleton 0

Castleton opened the match with high intensity, taking an early lead behind kills from Madison Sheehan and Brianna Walsh. Rojas kept the offense moving with 7 assists in the set. After trailing behind halfway through the set, the Spartans rallied with a 5-0 run led by Walsh, who served two aces and added a kill to bring Castleton within one at 17-16. A kill from Ray tied it at 18-18, but UMass Dartmouth responded with a closing 7-2 run and four kills by Allison Pate, capitalizing on late Spartan errors to take the opening set 25-20. 

The second set saw UMass Dartmouth take control early, jumping out to a 11-5 lead and never looking back. Castleton struggled to find offensive consistency as the Corsairs applied pressure from the service line and capitalized on unforced errors. Despite a pair of kills from Sheehan and two kills and a block from Smith, the Spartans were limited to just seven kills, while committing nine attack errors. Sam Ford added some well paced hits and Walsh continued to apply pressure from the service line but UMass Dartmouth's efficiency at the net, led by Emily Pogorelec and Pate, kept Castleton on the defensive. The Corsairs hit .250 as a team, while the Spartans recorded their lowest hitting percentage of the night, allowing UMass Dartmouth to pull away with a 25-14 win. 

The Spartans opened the third set with renewed energy, led by Chapman with four kills in six points. Behind strong setting from Rojas, Castleton built an early lead, taking advantage of Corsair errors. UMass Dartmouth responded with steady hitting from Olivia Seutter and Aleek Kuot, but Castleton stayed within striking distance throughout the set. After multiple Spartan errors and kills from Seutter, the Corsairs closed out the set 25-20 to complete the sweep. 

VTSU Castleton 3, Mass. Maritime 0

Castleton opened the match strong in the first set, utilizing timely kills and consistent serving to build momentum. Smith led the charge with multiple kills and a 5-0 service run along with an ace, providing consistent pressure on Mass. Maritime's defense. Ray and Chapman contributed key kills, while Vaughn and Walsh added a couple service aces to boost the Spartans' scoring runs. Despite a few Castleton errors, the Spartans maintained their composure and capitalized on Mass Maritime's mistakes, taking the set 25-19. 

In the second set, Castleton kept up the intensity with strong offensive execution and solid defense. Ray powered the attack with four kills along with Sam Ford, who had three. Defensive efforts were notable, with very few errors allowing Castleton to take advantage of Mass Maritime's mistakes. Despite a late challenge from the Buccaneers, the Spartans secured the set 25-19. 

The third set saw Castleton push to close out the match, with Walsh delivering a standout performance with a 8-0 serving run featuring four service aces. Ray and Ford each added critical kills to keep the Spartans ahead, while defensive stability from players like Vaughn helped absorb Mass. Maritime's attacks. Despite another late surge from the visitors, Castleton maintained focus and ended the set, 25-17 to sweep the Buccaneers. 

What's Next

The Spartans return to conference play at home on Wednesday, October 22 at 7 pm against the Keene State Owls.