CHESTER, Pa. - The Pride go perfect in their home Senior Day tri-match, sweeping both Hood College and Immaculata University. 

The Pride improve to 15-12 in the regular season and 2-5 in conference play. 
 

OF NOTE 

• This game was the Pride's senior day, where they highlighted two senior stars of the program in Matthew Christ and Michael Martino 

BY THE NUMBERS: HOOD 

• Matthew Christ delivered a dominant offensive performance, leading the team with 18 kills on just 25 swings, hitting an impressive .640 while also adding 2 service aces and 4 total blocks, contributing a match-high 23.0 points. 

• Stephen Marquis was highly efficient at the net, registering 7 kills on 9 attempts without an error for a remarkable .778 hitting percentage. He also tallied 4 digs and 2 total blocks, finishing with 8.0 points. 

• Josh Matchett orchestrated the offense efficiently, dishing out a match-best 29 assists. He also contributed defensively with 2 digs and 3 block assists, while adding 1.5 points overall. 

• Michael Martino provided balanced play with 5 kills and 3 service aces, contributing 8.0 total points. His steady presence in the back row was highlighted by 3 digs. 

• Jason Sandberg made an impact from the service line and back row, delivering 3 service aces and collecting 3 digs in his rotations. 

BY THE NUMBERS: IMMACULATA 

• Matthew Christ continued his outstanding day with a match-high 17 kills while hitting .412, also adding 5 digs, 3 block assists, and 2 service aces to finish with a team-best 20.5 points. 

• Josh Matchett directed the offense with 25 assists and contributed heavily at the net, leading all players with 7 total blocks (1 solo, 6 assists) while also collecting 3 digs and scoring 6.0 points. 

• Anioma Njokanma made a strong defensive impact, racking up 4 total blocks (2 solo, 2 assists) while chipping in 3 kills on just 5 swings, hitting .400 and scoring 6.0 points. 

• Kevin Stubbs added valuable minutes, recording 2 kills, 2 digs, and 2.0 points in two sets of action. 

• Benjamin Heist provided a boost in the third set, recording a kill and a block assist to contribute 1.5 points in limited action. 

HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST HOOD 

• Widener wasted no time setting the tone, jumping out to a 6–2 lead behind early kills from Matthew Christ and Stephen Marquis, both set up by Josh Matchett. Midway through the set, Christ powered a 4-0 run with three kills, extending the lead to 11–3. Hood responded with a brief rally, taking advantage of a few Widener errors to pull within four at 13–9, but a quick three-point burst capped by a kill from Michael Martino reestablished momentum. Christ closed the set emphatically with his seventh kill, helping the Pride take the opener, 25–19. 

•  The second set was a showcase of offensive efficiency and serving dominance for Widener. After an early 3–1 edge, Michael Martino rattled off a service ace and a kill during a 6-0 run, pushing the lead to 9–3. Jason Sandberg then stepped up at the service line with back-to-back aces during another surge that made it 18–7. Widener's offense was nearly flawless, hitting .556 in the set, with Christ and Marquis combining for four kills and several key blocks. The Pride ended the frame on a 7–2 run, sealing it comfortably at 25–9. 

• Hood briefly threatened early in the third, taking a 2–0 lead and staying within reach at 8–8 after some scrappy play. But Widener quickly turned the tide with a 5-1 spurt, fueled by a block and kill from Anioma Njokanma, who made an immediate impact off the bench. Martino added another ace, and Yavan Patel notched a kill to keep the offense humming. Down the stretch, Christ delivered his final two kills as part of a closing 4–0 run. A hitting error by Hood ended the match as Widener clinched the set 25–19, and the match 3–0. 

HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST IMMACULATA 

• The opening set was a tightly contested battle early, with both teams trading points up to an 8-8 tie. Widener then strung together a 4-0 run behind two kills and a service ace from Matthew Christ, forcing Immaculata into a timeout. The Mighty Macs clawed back and eventually trimmed the deficit to 19-18, but Widener answered with another surge, getting a crucial block from Josh Matchett and Stephen Marquis to make it 22-18. Immaculata mounted one final push, pulling within one at 24-23, but Christ sealed the set with a kill on a feed from Matchett, giving the Pride a 25-23 victory. 

•  Widener took control early in set two and never looked back. A 5-0 spurt, highlighted by a block from Anioma Njokanma and a kill from Michael Martino, gave the Pride a 7-2 lead. Midway through the set, Jason Sandberg delivered back-to-back service aces during a 6-1 Widener run that extended the advantage to 16-7. Christ continued to pile on kills while Matchett orchestrated the offense smoothly, leading to another late push with multiple block assists from Marquis, Matchett, and Martino. The Pride finished the set on a 7-2 run, winning it convincingly, 25-13. 

•  The third set featured a resilient Immaculata team, as the visitors held a slim lead as late as 17-16. However, Widener remained poised and turned the momentum with a key block from Njokanma and a kill from Benjamin Heist to ignite a 5-1 run. Christ and Kevin Stubbs added kills down the stretch, while Matchett capped off the rally with a perfectly placed service ace to push the lead to 24-21. On the next rally, a block by Christ and Njokanma secured the match for the Pride, who completed the sweep with a 25-21 win. 

UP NEXT 

The Pride close the regular season on the road as they travel to Wilkes-Barre, Pa to face the Monarchs of Kings College. First serve is set for Wednesday, April 2 at 7pm.