CHESTER, Pa. (Sept. 1, 2015) – The Widener volleyball team began its 2015 campaign at home on Tuesday night, dropping a 3-1 contest to neighboring Swarthmore College in the Schwartz Center.  The Garnet took the first two sets by scores of 25-16 and 25-20, while the Pride won the third set 25-21 before dropping the final set 25-20.

The opening set was a close affair with the score being just 14-13 in favor of the visitors before Swarthmore went on a 8-1 run to pull ahead 22-14. Freshman Kelsey Lee (Chesapeake, Va.) ended the run with a kill off a feed from junior setter Sabrina Barbieri (Glen Mills, Pa.). But the Garnet would score three of the next four points to take the set 25-16.

After trailing 19-12 late in the second set, the Pride clawed back with three straight points to pull within four, and were once again within four of Swarthmore at the 24-20 mark but an Olivia Leventhal kill sealed the 25-20 victory.

With the Garnet once again leading in the third set, this time 9-7, the Blue and Gold rattled off six straight to take a 13-9 advantage.  After the two sides traded scoring streaks and going point for point, the Pride took the third set by a score of 25-21 with the deciding point coming via a visitor attack error.

In the fourth and final set, there were four tie-scores by the time the squads reached 7-7.  With the help of six-consecutive scores, the Pride took an 11-7 advantage before the Garnet answered back with a 5-1 run to knot the score at 12-all.  The two sides traded point-for-point before Swarthmore pushed out a late burst taking the finale 25-20.

Freshman outside hitter Nicole Dorman (E. Norriton, Pa.) left her mark in her first collegiate match, finishing tied for the game-high with 16 kills.  She added 13 digs to give herself a double-double in her debut.  Barbieri was one dig shy of a double-double, adding 29 assists and three service aces.  Junior libero Lauren Elliott (Aston, Pa.) scooped up a game-high 20 digs.

For the visitors, Sarah Wallace and Olivia Leventhal led the attack with 16 and 12 kills, respectively.  Sam DuBois led both sides with 34 helpers.

The Pride return to the floor on Friday, Sept. 4 at the Rowan Invitational.  They will face the College of Mount Saint Vincent and the University of Michigan-Dearborn at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. in Glassboro, N.J.