FREDERICK, Md. (Oct. 25, 2016) - Sophomore Janie Kalinock (Ellicott City, Md.) registered a career-high six service aces and also smashed eight kills as the Widener University volleyball team punched its ticket to the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Tournament with a 3-0 sweep of Hood on Tuesday evening at BB&T Arena. The Pride won by set scores of 25-23, 25-10 and 25-11.

Widener improved to 12-16 overall and 4-3 in MAC Commonwealth play with the victory. The team also clinched the fourth seed and hosting rights of the league tournament play-in game next Monday evening against fifth-seeded Lycoming. Hood dropped to 9-19 overall, including 2-6 in league action, and was eliminated from postseason contention.

The teams played a back-and-forth opening set which the Pride came back to capture at the last moment. Hood built up a 12-8 advantage on consecutive aces by Elena Zinaich to prompt a Widener timeout, but the Pride came back stronger and were able to play the Blazers evenly for the next several rallies to stay within striking distance. Freshman Caroline Dangel (Eldersburg, Md.) set up senior Kristin DeCicco (Sewell, N.J.) for a kill to give the visitors a 22-21 edge and then found sophomore Nicole Dorman (East Norriton, Pa.) for the final swing on set point to give the Pride a 25-23 win.
 
The Pride then used the momentum they gained at the end of the first set and caught fire the rest of the way by hitting better than .470 and committing just one attacking error in each of the next two sets. Dangel recorded a kill and then registered two assists on Kalinock and Dorman attacks to make it 13-6 and put the visitors in control before they would end the frame with seven unanswered points.
 
Kalinock then put the team on her shoulders and helped the Pride burst out to a 9-1 advantage in the third set. After notching a kill, the sophomore lit up for five service aces over six rallies until Zinaich finally put the Blazers back on the board by finishing a passs from Payton Belella. Elizabeth Kwon continued the Pride's dominant service game down the stretch by recording two aces to help the team clinch its third consecutive postseason berth.
 
Widener, which set two season highs by recording 17 service aces and hitting at a .395 clip, was paced by Kalinock and Dorman. Kalinock hit .636 by finishing with eight kills and only one error on 11 swings, while Dorman added 15 kills and concluded the evening with a .467 hitting percentage. The Pride also got outstanding production from its freshman class, as Kwon set a career high with four aces, Dangel contributed 28 assists and Ashley McAfee led the team with nine digs.
 
Hood was led Pelella in the losing effort. The setter came just shy of notching a double-double by tallying 25 assists and nine digs. Zinaich finished with 11 kills and three aces, which were both team highs, and Kari Betson added seven digs.
 
Before hosting a postseason match next week, Widener will wrap up its regular season when it entertains Arcadia on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 7 p.m. Seniors Sabrina Barbieri (Glen Mills, Pa.), Brooke Ruditys (Upper Chichester, Pa.), Lauren Elliott (Aston, Pa.) and DeCicco will be recognized for their contributions to the program prior to the contest.