CASTLETON, Vt. – The Vermont State University Castleton women's volleyball team dropped its Little East Conference opener to the Western Connecticut Wolves in straight sets Saturday afternoon at Feldman Arena.
The Basics
- Final Score: Western Connecticut 3 | VTSU Castleton 0
- Location: Feldman Arena – Danbury, Conn.
- Records: Western Connecticut 11-3, 1-0 LEC | VTSU Castleton 7-7, 0-1 LEC
How It Happened
Castleton came out aggressive in the opening set, matching Western Connecticut point for point through most of the set. The Spartans held a narrow lead halfway through thanks to timely kills from
Lilli Burrows,
Sam Ford, and
Jocelyn Ray. Burrows and Ford each finished with six kills, while Ray chipped in four. As a team, Castleton hit .114 with 12 kills in the first set but struggled to keep up momentum late, allowing the Wolves to go on a 5-2 run to close the set, 25-23.
In the second set, the Spartans continued to battle, again keeping the score tight.
Alondra Rojas fueled the offense with eight of her 21 assists, setting up key kills for Burrows and Ford. She also added two of her five service aces in the set. Defensively, Castleton tallied 24 digs, but the Wolves managed to capitalize on Spartan attack errors and back-to-back kills from
Julia Stoliker and
Hallie Robillard to take the set, 25-23.
The third set proved decisive. Castleton managed only four kills on 32 swings and committed six errors, while Western Connecticut had its strongest performance of the match, hitting a .412 with 15 kills and just one error on 34 attempts. Despite the score, Castleton remained competitive.
Nicolette Vaughn added six digs in the set, while
Brianna Walsh and
Lily Prevost also contributed defensively, finishing with 14 and 11 digs total. The Wolves sealed the match with a 25-9 win.
By the Numbers
- Castleton finished with 68 digs and eight service aces.
- Rojas tallied 21 assists, five service aces, three digs, and one kill to lead the offense.
- Walsh added 14 digs and Lily Prevost chipped in 11, giving the Spartans three players in double digits for digs.
- The Wolves recorded 42 kills with a .242 hitting percentage and were led by setter Maggie Ferguson, who had 31 assists and added three aces.
What's Next
The Spartans return to Glenbrook Gym to host a tri-match against Eastern Connecticut and Fitchburg State on Saturday, Oct. 4, beginning at 1 p.m.
