BOSTON – For the second straight year, Simmons volleyball's (0-1) opening match of the season went five sets against College of the Fenway neighbor Wentworth Institute of Technology, Friday evening. However, in five highly contested sets, the Leopards were able to get the best of the Sharks, pulling out the 3-2 win. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1: Simmons 25, Wentworth 22
Facing a four-point, 11-7, deficit early in the set, junior Meghan Doxsee ignited a 5-0 run with a kill to take a 12-7 lead and force the Leopards to call their first time out. During the string, graduate student Chelsea Simmons registered three of her four aces as the Sharks never looked back to take the 1-0 match lead.

SET 2: Simmons 25, Wentworth 19
Wentworth controlled most of the first half of the second set, but the winds of momentum swung towards the other bench with game tied a 13-13. Chelsea Simmons sparked a 6-2 run to take a commanding 19-15 lead, which the Sharks would not relinquish to take the two-set match advantage.  

SET 3: Wentworth 25, Simmons 20
The third set was a back-and-forth battle, before Wentworth pulled away late. Trailing by one, 17-16, the Leopards went on a small 3-0 run to take a two-point, 19-17, lead and force the Sharks to call their first time out. But the momentum was already on the Leopards side as they hung on to remain alive in the match 

SET 4: Wentworth 26, Simmons 24
The Sharks built a strong five-point, 19-14, lead in the fourth set, but the Leopards were pesky and would not go away. Each time Simmons would increase its lead, Wentworth was right there, erasing the five-point deficit and tie the set at 21.

Trailing 24-23 and endanger of going to fifth set, Chelsea Simmons and sophomore Alex Spencer rejected Kate McLane's attack attempt to tie up the set at 24 all. But was not enough as the Leopards squeaked out the 26-24 win.

SET 5: Wentworth 15, Simmons 12
In the deciding game five, Wentworth remained red-hot and jumped out to a 10-2 lead. Simmons showed resilience and inched back into the game. It was a little too late as the Leopards hung on for the 15-12 win.

SIMMONS HIGHLIGHTS

• Junior middle blocker Meghan Doxsee recorded a career single-game best eight total blocks, tallying five block assists and three solo blocks. 
• Senior outside hitter Jayla Parnell registered a double-double, leading the Sharks with 12 kills and 16 digs.
• Graduate senior Chelsea Simmons notched a triple-double tallying 10 kills, 12 digs and 18 assists.

UP NEXT
Simmons returns to the hard-court tomorrow with a tri-match against Emerson College and Manhattanville at 10 a.m. and noon at Emerson's Bobbi Brown & Steven Plofker Gym.