MADISON, N.J. – With their Massachusetts tri-match behind them, the Pride defeated the Drew University Rangers three sets to one on Wednesday.

Widener is 12-8 in the regular season (0-2 against MAC opponents).

HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST DREW
Matthew Christ was the hot hand on offense, recording 20 kills. Widener recorded 50 kills on 108 total attacks. Josh Matchett had 40 assists. The Pride had a .333 hitting percentage.

A Nick Poulson kill was the initial score for either side. Drew would score seven straight points before the Pride answered back with three of their own. The score was 7-4 Rangers. Widener later strung together two strong offensive points on a kill from Dylan Beer and a service ace by Christ. With the Pride only down two points, 12-10, the Rangers increased their lead to six. An Ethan Cox kill stopped Drew's run. Widener eventually cut their deficit to three points, forcing a Drew timeout. The Rangers' lead, however, was essentially safe for the rest of the set. Two kills by Christ were the final points for Widener. Drew won the first set 25-22.

Cox's kill began the scoring for Widener in the second set. The Rangers once again had a lead, but the Pride tied the set 6-6 on a Drew attack error. The set was a back-and-forth battle, as neither team wanted the other to take a lead. However, as the set was tied at 14, Widener scored three consecutive times on a Matchett ace and consecutive attack errors by the Rangers. Christ kept the Pride's offense going with two kills, but the Rangers were not far behind. With the score at 19-18 Widener, the Pride used a 6-2 run to finish off their opponent. A Drew attack error ended the set. Widener won the second set 25-20.

Even with Drew starting the set 3-0, a kill from Christ got Widener on the board. Facing an early deficit, Widener climbed back into the set with a 4-1 run to tie things at 7-7. A Beer service ace was the tying point. Drew went back on top before the Pride scored five times in a row to force a Rangers' timeout. The score was 13-10 Widener. The Pride found more success as the set continued, getting five more straight points to go up 18-12. Kills by Beer and Christ were part of that outburst. While the Rangers cut their deficit to four points multiple times, the Pride made sure no comeback was on the table. A kill by Christ was the final point for either side. The Pride took the third set 25-19.

As the fourth set was underway, Widener's first two points were countered by two Drew points. Widener attacked early and often in this set, going on a 4-1 run to lead 6-3. Drew was also getting sloppy on offense, giving the Pride three straight points either on a service error or attack error. The Rangers finally called timeout once the Pride blew open the score 17-8. Although errors by the Pride gave Drew some points back, Widener used a 4-0 run to finish the match. A kill by Matchett was the final point. Widener walked away victorious in the final set 25-12. They won three of four sets.

UP NEXT
The Pride face conference opponents for the remainder of the regular season. They will be at Stevens Institute of Technology next Wednesday, March 8. First serve is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.