ANNVILLE, Pa. - The Widener University women's volleyball team pulled out a five-set victory over Lebanon Valley, 21-25, 19-25, 25-16, 25-21, 15-10, in their MAC Commonwealth match on Wednesday night on the road.
With the win, the Pride improved to 17-7 overall and 3-3 in MAC Commonwealth play. They lead by one match over Lebanon Valley (2-4) for the fifth spot in the conference standings with both teams having two matches to go. A win by Widener and a loss by Lebanon Valley during these final games will allow Widener to clinch the fifth seed in the MAC Commonwealth Championship.
HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST LEBANON VALLEY
- Following tough losses in the first two sets, the Pride took the third game by going on a 14-4 run to end the set and overcome a 12-11 deficit. The Pride had their best hitting percentage of the match in that set, hitting at a .379 clip. Emily Miller led the Pride with four kills. ]
- Clinging to a 19-18 lead in the fourth set, Widener evened the match by going on 6-3 run to end the set. Miller made five kills in the set and Shelby Motz had three of her four kills in the set in that last Widener run.
- In the extra set, Widener snapped a 5-all tie by going on a 10-5 run to close the match.
- The Pride tallied a season-best 66 kills on the night. Miller and Martucci led the way with 12 kills apiece, while Venit added 10 in the victory.
- The Pride also set season-bests in assists and points, tallying 56 assists and 84 points, respectively. Megan Barthol led the Pride in assists with a career-high 31, while Maddie Keller added 10 in the win. For points, the Blue and Gold had four players in double figures, as Venit had 15 while Martucci, Miller, and Motz followed with 14.5, 13.5, and 11.5, respectively.
- The Pride also got great defensive production, making a season-high 12 blocks. Venit led the way with four blocks (one solo, six assisted).
- The Pride also had three players in double figures in digs. Madeline Dutterer paced the Pride with 18, while Motz followed with 15, and Barthol had 14.
UP NEXT
Widener heads back on the road Saturday to take on Cabrini and Washington and Lee in a tri-match at Cabrini. The Pride will face Cabrini at 11 a.m., then will take on Washington and Lee at 1 p.m.