For Immediate Release
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2007
Wellesley Sports Information
Contact: Tom Wilson
Wellesley Sweeps Coast Guard 3-0
Wellesley, Mass. – Wellesley volleyball closed out its regular season and celebrated Senior Day with a three-game sweep of the United States Coast Guard Academy (30-14, 30-26, 30-25). The win lifts the Blue to 24-6 on the season and 8-1 in NEWMAC competition, which secures for them the #2 seed in the conference tournament. The Bears drop to 20-5 overall and 6-3 in conference, seeding them 4th in the post-season tournament.
Wellesley jumped to an early lead in game one, using a four-point serving run from libero Emily Peters (Temescal Valley, CA) to take a 10-4 lead. Coast Guard battled back to tie the score at 12, but Wellesley dominated the rest of the set, scoring 18 of the next 20 points for a 30-14 win.
Game two followed a similar script as the Blue once again took an early lead, but the Bears' Corinne McCormack (Havertown, PA) cut the lead to 18-17 with a seven-point serving run. Coast Guard took a brief lead at 21-19, but the Blue finished strongly for a 30-26 win and a 2-0 lead.
Wellesley tried to put the third game away early, taking a 6-2 lead, but the Bears once again used McCormacks' serve to battle back into the match for a 9-7 lead. Wellesley tied the score at 10, then gradually pulled away. Despite a late surge from Coast Guard, the Blue took the set 30-25 for the 3-0 sweep.
Middle hitter Nicole Gurr (Acton, CA) led Coast Guard at the net with 12 kills, followed by McCormack with nine and Carin Sweeney (Woodbury, MN) with seven. McCormack, who recorded 3 blocks, also tallied 12 digs, while Jesscia Anderson (Schoolcraft, MI) added eight digs and Gurr and Megan Durbin (Floyd's Knob, IN) chipped in seven a piece. Setter Anne Staley dished out 23 assists in the loss.
The four Wellesley seniors -- Billie Briones (Sonoma, CA), Murielle Dawdy (Larkspur, CA), Lauren Rasmussen (Bonita, CA), and Tracy Waldman (Seattle, WA) -- led the charge for the Blue. Setter Briones chalked up 28 assists and two aces in the win, while Dawdy tallied 13 kills and 12 digs from her outside hitting position. Co-captains Waldman and Rasmussen added eight and three kills, respectively, as Rasmussen also chipped in four blocks. Juniors Jessica Duff (Milton, Abingdon, UK) and Alice Cummings (Tallahassee, FL) added to the Blue offense, racking up 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Victoria Peng (Diamond Bar, CA) recorded 12 assists and 10 digs, while Peters led all players with 14 digs.
The Blue take the court again on Tuesday night, when they host #7-seed Babson College at 7:00 p.m. in the first-round of the NEWMAC tourament. The Bears return to action at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday as well, when they host #5-seed Smith in a first round match.
Women's Volleyball: Wellesley 3, Coast Guard 0
| Coast Guard | 14 | 26 | 25 | ||
| Wellesley | 30 | 30 | 30 |