For Immediate Release
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2007
Wellesley Sports Information
Contact: Tom Wilson
Williams Defeats Wellesley, 3-1
Box score
Wellesley, Mass. – Despite taking the opening set, Wellesley College fell 3-1 tonight to perennial NESCAC power Williams College. The Ephs used tenacious defense and a balanced offense to keep the Blue off balance and take the next three games. Williams stands at 3-0 on the season, while Wellesley drops to 1-2.
The opening game saw several momentum shifts, with each team managing to take charge only briefly. The Ephs struggled to control Wellesley's quick attack, as middle hitter Lauren Rasmussen (Bonita, Calif.) racked up five kills in the game. Wellesley finally broke away late in the game, taking a 28-26 and holding on for a 31-29 win. After making adjustments to control the Blue's quick attack, Williams grabbed the momentum early in game two and coasted to a 30-24 win, tying the match at one game a piece. Game three proved to be more of the same, as the Ephs continued to serve tough and control Wellesley's offense with solid blocking and floor defense, leading to a 30-23 win and a 2-1 lead.
The Blue came out firing at the start of game four, taking an 11-2 lead behind aggressive hitting from Jessica Duff (Milton, Abingdon, UK) and Murielle Dawdy (Larkspur, Calif.). But the Ephs slowly battled back, closing the gap to 24-20. The two teams traded five sideouts before Wellesley, with a 29-26 lead, appeared to be on the verge of sending the match to a fifth set. But the Ephs tightened up their block, stuffing two Wellesley attacks during a last-second comeback that ended in 34-32 victory.
Chelsea Kubal (Atherton, Calif.) led a balanced Williams attack with 10 kills. Lesley Faulkner (Middletown, Conn.) added nine kills, while Kate Anderson (Berlin, Mass.) and Nicole Ballon-Landa (La Jolla, Calif.) chipped in eight a piece. Anderson also tallied six blocks. Emily Avis (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Melissa Pun (San Francisco, Calif.) split the setting duties for the Ephs, tallying 19 and 25 assists, respectively. Kubal led the team in digs with 24, while Andrea Scioscia (Gibsonia, Penn.) added 22 in the win.
Dawdy and Duff led the Blue with 14 kills each, while Tracy Waldman (Seattle, Wash.) added 11. Emily Peters (Temescal Valey, Calif.) led all defenders with 34 digs, as Dawdy chipped in 23.
Williams returns to action on Tuesday, September 11, when they travel to Hamilton College for a non-conference match. The same night, Wellesley opens NEWMAC conference play at Springfield College.
Women's Volleyball: Williams 3, Wellesley 1
| Williams | 29 | 30 | 30 | 34 | |
| Wellesley | 31 | 24 | 23 | 32 |