CHESTER, Pa. - The Pride continue their momentum with a hard-fought 3–1 triumph over Alvernia.
Widener moves to 6–9 on the year and stays unbeaten in conference at 2–0.
BY THE NUMBERS
HOW IT HAPPENED AGAINST
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The Pride came out firing in the opening set, storming to a 7–0 run behind a pair of aces from Chronister and multiple kills from Benjamin. The Pride controlled the pace early, building a double-digit cushion at 14–3 thanks to strong play at the net from Benjamin, Mira Canali, and Ava Kramer. The Golden Wolves chipped away late, but Widener's depth showed as Kaitlyn Guessford, Julia Schwab, and Airyn Zimmerman closed out the frame. A final kill by Schwab sealed the 25–14 victory to give the Pride the early lead in the match.
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Widener opened the second set, with Barnes, Canali, and Gabriella Bottino providing early kills to keep the Pride in striking distance. Despite the Golden Wolves capitalizing on a few runs to create separation, the Pride refused to back down. Schwab energized the floor with a service ace, while Barnes followed with one of her own to help the Pride trim the deficit late. The Pride's relentless push closed the gap to just three points at the finish, but the Golden Wolves narrowly escaped with a 25–22 win to even the match at 1–1.
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The Pride stormed into the third set, racing out to a 4–0 lead behind Chronister's service ace and early kills from Bottino and Zimmerman. The Pride kept their foot on the gas as Canali and Benjamin powered through with timely swings, while Meghan Prior added a spark with a kill. Bottino then caught fire late in the frame, serving up an ace and aiding in kills from Benjamin. With the score locked at 23–23, Bottino and Barnes delivered back-to-back decisive plays, a kill and a clutch service ace, to secure the 25–23 victory and put the Pride back in front, 2–1 in the match.
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Widener controlled the fourth set from the start, fueled by early kills from Benjamin and a pair of aces by Zimmerman. Schwab, Bottino, and Barnes kept the pressure on at the net, while Prior and Hayley Haxton added key contributions. With momentum fully on their side, the Pride closed the set 25–18, sealing a 3–1 match victory over the Golden Wolves.
UP NEXT
The Pride return home on Thursday, October 2, as they take on Immaculata. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
