POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Widener Pride battled two top-ranked opponents in Poughkeepsie, falling in straight sets to No. 2 Carthage before dropping a hard-fought four-set match to No. 11 Vassar.
The Pride drop to 3-7 on the season.
BY THE NUMBERS – CARTHAGE
HOW IT HAPPENED – CARTHAGE
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Widener struck first in the match, opening the scoring on a kill from Marquis to take a 1–0 lead. The Pride briefly regained momentum with a kill from Dahl to go up 3–2 and again at 4–3, but Carthage responded with a decisive run to pull ahead 12–5. Widener battled back behind kills from Dahl and Wannamaker, trimming the deficit to 16–11 and later 19–14. Despite the late push, Carthage finished the set on a closing run, handing Widener a 25–15 loss in the opening frame.
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Carthage jumped out to an early 2–0 lead in the second set, but Widener quickly fought back, narrowing the gap to 4–3. The Pride stayed competitive, tying the score at 5–5 and again at 10–10, before Carthage began to pull away, leading 13–11 and extending the advantage to 16–14 midway through the set. Widener continued to battle, closing the margin to 19–16, but Carthage responded with a late run to take a 22–16 lead. The Pride could not recover, and Carthage closed out the set 25–21 to take a two-set lead.
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Carthage jumped out to an early 3–0 lead and kept control through the opening stretch, pushing their advantage to 7–3 and later 10–5. Widener began to fight back, trimming the deficit to 13–9 at the midpoint. The Pride stayed within striking distance at 17–12, 19–14, and 22–20, but Carthage pulled away in the closing points to take the set 25–21.
BY THE NUMBERS – VASSAR
HOW IT HAPPENED – VASSAR
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Widener opened the match strong, jumping out to an early 6-2 lead behind kills from Marquis, Anioma Njokanma, and Dahl. The Pride continued to battle through the opening stretch, keeping the score close at 8-8 and again at 12-12 as both teams traded points. Widener stayed within striking distance late in the set, narrowing the gap to 19-22 with key contributions from Sandberg and Marquis, but Vassar went on a decisive run to close out the frame, taking the opening set 25-19.
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Widener bounced back in the second set, keeping pace with Vassar through the early stages and tying the score at 3-3. The Pride gained momentum behind key kills from Marquis, Njokanma, and Dahl building a slight edge at 10-8. Widener maintained control through the middle of the set, with strong contributions from Sandberg and Marquis helping the team push the lead to 17-12. Late in the frame, Widener continued to extend their advantage, finishing strong and taking the set 25-21 for the first victory of the match.
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The third set was a back-and-forth battle, with Widener keeping pace through the early points, tying the score at 3-3 and 5-5. The Pride stayed competitive through the middle of the frame, exchanging points with Vassar and remaining within a single point at 11-12 and 14-15. Key kills from Josh Akinwale and Wannamaker helped Widener stay in striking distance late in the set, with the score knotted at 19-19. Despite the Pride's effort, Vassar edged ahead in the final points, closing the set 25-23.
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Widener opened the fourth set with an early point exchange, staying close with Vassar through the opening stretch. The Pride continued to battle in the middle of the set, keeping the score tight at 10-13 and 12-17. Despite strong efforts from Sandberg, Dahl, and Njokanma, Vassar began to pull away late, ultimately taking the set 25-15 and securing the four-set victory.
UP NEXT
The Pride return to Pennsylvania to take on Valley Forge in Phoenixville, Pa., on Wednesday, February 11. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
