CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's volleyball team split a doubleheader at Glenbrook Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon, pushing Little East Conference opponent Eastern Connecticut to five sets before bouncing back with a four-set win over Fitchburg State.

The Spartans now sit at 8-8 on the season and 0-2 in conference play. Leading the way was Alondra Rojas with another standout performance, tallying 61 assists, 34 digs, seven service aces, and five blocks across both matches. She continues to lead all three divisions in service aces while also continuing her double doubles streak.

Eastern Connecticut 3, VTSU Castleton 2
Castleton opened the day with a nail-biting five-set match against Little East opponent, Eastern Connecticut. The Spartans took the lead early, winning the first two sets 25-18 and 25-22 behind clean hitting and strong serving. Jocelyn Ray led with eight kills, while Rojas recorded two service aces in the first set and another ace in the second. The Spartans hit .258 and .300 in the first two frames, keeping up the pressure.
 
Eastern Connecticut adjusted in the third set, tightening their defense and forcing errors from Castleton. The Warriors won the next two sets 25-12 and 25-21, capitalizing on Castleton's mistakes and having a strong net presence led by Emma Robinson's 13 kills and six blocks. Castleton struggled offensively in these sets, only hitting .100.
 
The fifth set was a back-and-forth battle from start to finish. Despite a valiant effort from the Spartans, including 20 digs from Rojas and 16 from Nicolette Vaughn, Eastern Connecticut pulled away to take the set 15-7 and complete the comeback. Sam Ford led Castleton with six kills in the match, while Olivia Smith contributed three blocks. Castleton finished with 34 kills and 7 service aces, but it wasn't enough to secure the match.
 
VTSU Castleton 3, Fitchburg State 1
Later in the evening, Castleton bounced back with a strong 3-1 win over Fitchburg State. The Spartans controlled the first two sets, winning 25-22 and 25-19. Ford and Ray both had 12 kills in the match, while Smith added six kills and four blocks. Rojas was once again a key player, delivering 38 assists and four service aces.

Fitchburg State fought hard in the third set, refusing to give up. They capitalized on a series of errors from Castleton, including several missed swings and miscommunications. The Spartans' offense faltered, resulting in a .000 hitting percentage for the set. Meanwhile, Fitchburg stayed aggressive from the service line and maintained control of the set. The Falcons attacks outpaced Castleton to a 25-16 set victory, denying the Spartans the sweep.

In the fourth set, Castleton regained their momentum. The Spartans hit a .321, fueled by timely kills form Ford and Smith and two more aces from Rojas. Defensively, Vaughn and Walsh anchored the back row with 21 and 12 digs. Castleton closed the match 25-12 with 48 kills, seven service aces, and 59 digs.

What's Next
The Spartans will host the Thoroughbreds of Skidmore College on October 7 at 6 PM in Glenbrook Gymnasium.