WENHAM, Mass. - The Simmons College women's volleyball team won the first two sets, but were unable to close out host Gordon College as the Fighting Scots held on for a 3-2 (25-27, 12-25, 25-21, 25-23, 15-13) victory tonight at Bennett Athletic Center in Wenham, Mass. The Sharks fall to 4-4 on the season, while Gordon improves to 4-5.
Simmons hit .294 and held on for a 27-25 first set victory, before cruising to a 25-12 win in the second frame, while holding the home team to a -.160 hitting mark. The Fighting Scots regrouped to take set number three, 25-21, before evening the match with the final two points in a 25-23 decision. The Sharks owned an 11-7 lead in the fifth and deciding set before Gordon called timeout. The Fighting Scots came out of the pause with four straight points to knot the set at 11-11 and scored four of the next six points to take the match. Simmons hit .185 for the match, but committed 24 service errors.
Sophomore outside hitter Morgan Weeg (Goodyear, Ariz.) led all players with 18 kills on a .236 hitting percentage and added six digs for the Sharks. First year right side hitter Riley Roberge (Peoria, Ariz.) spiked for a career-high 12 kills and committed just two attack errors for a lethal .588 hitting mark to go with a block assist, while sophomore setter Kenna McCarthy (Shelter Island, N.Y.) posted the third double-double of her career with 17 assists and 13 digs in addition to a personal-best total of six aces. First year libero Julia Fusco (Beverly, Mass.) got down for a career-best 23 digs and classmate Faith Gray-Williams (Las Vegas, Nev.) enjoyed a career-high effort of her own with 26 assists in addition to three kills, three aces, six digs and a block solo.
Junior right side hitter Jamie Tafoya (Fort Collins, Colo.) swung for 13 kills to fuel a .300 hitting percentage and added three aces and four digs to lead the Fighting Scots, while sophomore outside hitter Amanda Snyder (San Jose, Calif.) put down 11 kills, picked up 14 digs and served up an ace. First year setter Ashley Gergins (Murrieta, Calif.) directed the action with a match-high 31 assists to go with eight digs and a kill and sophomore defensive specialist Jenny Curtis (Larkspur, Colo.) got down for a match-best 24 digs in addition to a pair of aces.
Simmons returns to action on Saturday, September 16 when it heads across the river to take on host Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Smith College for a tri-match beginning at 2:00 p.m., while Gordon hosts Curry College on September 14 at 7:00 p.m.
