GLASSBORO, N.J. - The Widener Women's Volleyball team battled hard through two tough matchups but came up short against Rowan and Susquehanna.
Widener drops to 13–15 on the year and 4–3 in conference play.
BY THE NUMBERS - AGAINST ROWAN
HOW IT HAPPENED – AGAINST ROWAN
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Widener opened the match strong, trading points early before pulling ahead. Key kills from Kristen Vacca, Ava Kramer, and Benjamin, along with a service ace from Airyn Zimmerman, helped the Pride build momentum and keep pressure on Rowan. Despite this, a late push from the Profs turned the tide as Widener dropped the opening set, 25–19.
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The Pride bounced back in the second set, surging to a 6-4 lead behind service aces from Chronister and Zimmerman and kills from Benjamin and Kramer. Widener's offense clicked throughout, with Marissa Miller and Gabriella Bottino each adding key points to keep momentum on Widener's side. A dominant serving stretch by Mary Carter, including two aces and four forced attack errors, helped the Pride close out the frame in extra points, 26–24, to even the match at one set apiece.
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Widener came out strong in the third set, jumping to a 3–0 lead behind early kills from Benjamin and Kramer. The Pride kept the pressure on with steady play from Zimmerman, Bottino, and Carter. However, late attack errors proved costly, as the Pride's offense cooled down in the closing points, allowing Rowan to rally back. A late push from the Pride came too short, ultimately falling 25–20 in the set.
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The Pride opened the fourth set fighting to stay alive, trading points early before falling behind. Benjamin and Kayla Sicher powered the offense with several strong kills, while Carter added energy from the service line and set up key plays to keep the Pride within striking distance. Chronister and Barnes kept the ball moving efficiently across the court, and the team capitalized on a few defensive miscues to stay competitive. Despite a late push that saw Widener reach 14 points, the Pride couldn't regain momentum and dropped the final frame to close out the match.
BY THE NUMBERS - AGAINST SUSQUEHANNA
HOW IT HAPPENED - AGAINST SUSQUEHANNA
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Widener started the opening set strong against Susquehanna, jumping out to an early 4–1 lead behind a service ace from Chronister and a pair of blocks by Kramer, Airyn Zimmerman, and Azira Benjamin. The Pride maintained momentum through the middle of the set, with Kramer, Zimmerman, and Gabriella Bottino each contributing kills to keep Widener in reach. Mary Carter's service ace and steady play at the net kept the Pride within two points. Despite holding control for much of the frame, Widener couldn't hold off a late surge from Susquehanna and fell 25–20 in the first set.
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The Pride battled throughout the second set, keeping pace early behind strong swings from Bottino and Kramer. Setter Chronister distributed the ball well, helping the Pride trade points to stay within distance. Kills from Kristen Vacca, Mira Canali, and Benjamin pushed the score to the high teens. Despite consistent defense from Libero Barnes and a late push that brought Widener to 20 points, Susquehanna held on to take the set 25-15 and extend its lead in the match.
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Widener came out strong in the third set with an early service ace from Chronister and kills from Kramer and Zimmerman to stay neck-and-neck in the opening points. The Pride's offense stayed active as Zimmerman added an ace, while Kramer and Vacca chipped in with timely kills to keep the set close through the mid-teens. Despite the steady ball movement, the Pride couldn't complete the comeback, dropping the final set 25–16 as Susquehanna secured the sweep.
