BOSTON, Mass. – The Simmons University women's volleyball team was defeated by visiting Wentworth Institute of Technology, 3-2,  this evening at Moore Gymnasium in Boston, Mass. The Sharks fall to 2-3 on the season, while the Leopards improve to 3-2. 

Wentworth dropped the opening set, 25-21, before taking the next frame, 25-17, to knot the match at one set apiece. Simmons squeaked out a set three win, 27-25, to take a 2-1 match lead, but the Leopards won the final two sets, 25-18, 15-10, to take home the match. 

Junior outside hitter Morgan Weeg (Goodyear, Ariz.) led the Sharks offense with 17 kills on a .271 hitting percentage and added three digs, while first year outside hitter Sydney Iannantuono (East Lyme, Conn.) put down a career-high 14 kills to go with eight digs. Sophomore right side hitter Krissy Lloyd (Tampa, Fla.) contributed with nine kills, three digs and a pair of blocks and junior setter Faith Gray-Williams (Las Vegas, Nev.) led all floor generals with 43 assists to go with 13 digs for her fourth double-double of the season and three block assists. Junior libero Morgan Lauvray (Murrieta, Calif.) finished with a career-best 29 digs and fired a pair of aces. 

Senior outside hitter Claire Quick (Mission Viejo, Calif.) spiked for a match-high 21 kills, including 10 in the final two sets to power the Wentworth. She owned a .395 hitting mark, committing just four attack errors and added 11 digs for a double-double to go with an ace for the Leopards. Senior outside hitter Leah Rogoz (Woodridge, Ill.) also posted a double-double with 17 kills and 14 digs to go with three aces and a block solo. First year setter Chaise Kakuk (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) set for a team-high 27 assists and added nine digs and a block solo and senior defensive specialist Lexie Cambray (Bedford, N.H.) picked up a team-high 24 digs. 

Simmons held a 6-5 edge in the fifth and deciding set following a kill from Weeg, but the Leopards scored five of the next six points to take a 10-7 lead. The Sharks responded with three unanswered points, including a kill from Lloyd to pull them even at 10-10, but Wentworth closed out the set and the match with five straight points, including an ace from first year setter Jordan Chapman (Clearwater, Fla.) to secure the win. 

Simmons faced an 8-7 deficit early in the opening set, before going on a 7-2 run, capped by an Amanda Fortune (Round Rock, Texas) kill to take a 14-10 lead. The Sharks retained their lead through the remainder of the set and led by as many as six with a 19-13 margin on a kill from Weeg. Fortune put down a kill to give Simmons a 1-0 match lead and a 25-21 set win. 

The Leopards jumped out to a commanding 18-9 advantage in the second set, behind five kills from Quick. The Sharks reeled off five straight points to close to within 22-17, but Wentworth scored the final three points, including an ace from Chapman to take the set and tie the match. 

Simmons scored the first five points of the third frame, including two kills from Iannantuono, but the Leopards chipped away at the Sharks early lead and pulled even at 11-11 following one of Chapman's four aces for the night. The teams remained within three points of each other for the remainder of the set and traded points until the final point of the frame. Simmons held a 23-21 margin, but Wentworth scored the next three points to put it one point away from a set win. The Sharks regrouped to score four of the next five points, including an ace from junior defensive specialist Julia Fusco (Beverly, Mass.), to take the set and a 2-1 match lead. 

Simmons took a 12-10 lead, following a 7-1 run, midway through the fourth set, while looking to close out the match. The Leopards responded with five of the next seven points to take a 15-14 lead and never looked back, scoring 10 of the next 13 points to earn a 25-18 set victory to send the match into a fifth frame. 

The Sharks return to action on Wednesday, September 11 when they host University of Massachusetts Boston at 7:00 p.m., while Wentworth heads to Worcester on September 7 for a noon contest with Worcester State University.