CHESTER, Pa. - Widener Women's Volleyball celebrated Senior Day in style, earning a 3–1 victory over Gwynedd Mercy.
Widener improves to 12–10 on the year and stays 3-1 in conference play.
BY THE NUMBERS
HOW IT HAPPENED
-
Widener came out strong to open the match, jumping to an early lead behind kills from Kristen Vacca and Benjamin. The Pride's balanced attack kept the Griffins off rhythm, as Mira Canali and Airyn Zimmerman added key points at the net. After the Griffins rallied midway through the set to close the gap, the Pride responded with a composed finish. Hayley Haxton and Zimmerman delivered clutch plays late, and Chronister sealed the set with a service ace to give the Pride a 25–20 win.
-
The second set was a back-and-forth battle, with Benjamin, Canali, and Gabriella Bottino leading the way offensively for the Pride. After falling behind early, Widener clawed back with a late surge sparked by Zimmerman, who delivered a couple of service aces along with kills from Benjamin and Chronister, helping the Pride pull ahead 20–16. Despite the momentum, the Griffins capitalized on late serving runs to edge out the Pride in extra points, 26–24, and even the match at one set apiece.
-
Widener came out firing in the third set and never looked back. The Pride took advantage of early Griffin errors to build a quick lead before Benjamin and Kaitlyn Guessford sparked a dominant offensive stretch. Barnes gave Widener a major boost at the service line with three straight aces that stretched the lead into double digits. Vacca and Canali combined for key blocks to keep the Griffins off balance, while Benjamin, Canali, and Guessford added timely kills to help secure the set. Marissa Miller sealed the frame with the final point as Widener rolled to a 25–14 victory and a 2–1 match lead.
-
The Pride closed out Senior Day in style. Bottino and Zimmerman set the tone early with back-to-back kills, while Bottino added a pair of service aces to give the Pride momentum. Benjamin and Zimmerman stood tall at the net with a key block. Barnes chipped in another ace and helped the Pride extend their lead into double digits midway through the frame. Guessford and Canali added late kills, and Widener capitalized on several Griffin miscues down the stretch before closing the door with a final attack error forced by strong defensive pressure. The Pride took the set 25–16, wrapping up a 3–1 win to celebrate Senior Day in front of their home crowd.
UP NEXT
The Pride hit the road as they take on York College in York, Pa., on Wednesday, October 22. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
