Volleyball Drops 3-0 Decision at UMass Boston
Boston, Mass. - Freshman middle hitter Shannon Thompson (Moorpark, CA) spiked for eight kills and fired four aces and classmate Alexa Sullivan (South Dennis, Mass.) put down eight kills and added a block assist to lead the University of Massachusetts Boston women's volleyball team over visiting Framingham State College, 25-8, 25-5, 25-15, tonight at the Clark Athletic Center on the campus of UMass Boston. The Beacons, who are currently ranked second in the latest NCAA Division III New England Women's Volleyball Association Poll, win their fifth straight contest and have won 18 of their last 20 matches to improve to 18-4. The Rams fall to 10-11 on the season.
UMass Boston scored the first 13 points of the match on Thompson's serve, including three aces, en-route to the first set win. The Beacons held a 7-4 margin in the second set, before ripping off eight straight points during senior outside hitter Kate McWhorter's (Bakersfield, CA) service. UMass Boston closed out the set with 10 straight points during freshman libero Bethany Rossoll's (Colorado Springs, CO) serve to take a 2-0 match lead. The Beacons held a 6-2 lead in the third set, before junior Michelle Cawley (Canton, Mass.) served them to a 14-2 advantage with eight straight points, including three aces, before taking the set.
Thompson hit .462 for the match and added 10 digs for UMass Boston, while Sullivan registered a .412 clip for the night. McWhorter, senior outside hitter Kate White (Plymouth, Mass.), sophomore middle hitter Molly Rattigan (Dorchester, Mass.) and freshman outside hitter Melissa Brown (Gardnerville, NV) all contributed for the Beacons with five kills each. McWhorter hit .500 and added seven assists and three digs, while White owned a .571 hitting mark to go with a block assist. Rattigan hit an efficient .714 in addition to a dig and a block assist, while Brown served up a pair of aces and got down for three digs. Rossoll came up with nine digs in two sets, while freshman setter Frana Burtness-Adams (Fairbanks, AK) set for 17 assists to go with a pair of digs and a block. Cawley contributed with a career-high four aces to go with eight digs.
Junior outside hitter Ashley Trudeau (Rockland, Mass.) led Framingham State with four kills and added 11 digs, while junior libero Jessi Goode (Marstons Mills, Mass.) anchored the defense with a match-high 12 digs to go with an ace. Freshman setter Meaghan Callahan (Bridgewater, Mass.) registered six assists and added four digs.
UMass Boston will be in action again on Friday, October 16 when it hosts Saint Joseph's College (ME) at the Clark Athletic Center for a 6:00 p.m. match, while the Rams host Worcester State College and Westfield State College in a MASCAC tri-match beginning at 11:00 a.m. on October 17.
Release courtesy of UMass Boston Sports Information.