Willimantic, CT - The Vassar College Women's Volleyball team split a pair of matches on the road on Saturday afternoon as the Brewers earned a hard-fought 18-25, 25-13, 25-23, 12-25, 15-6 victory over Johnson and Wales before falling in the nightcap to Eastern Connecticut State 16-25, 17-25, 17-25. Vassar's record moves to 8-2 overall on the season.

Vassar 3 JWU 2

First Set

• JWU opened the match with a 6-0 lead following two kills from Viva Mansfield, one winner from Ajie Fatou Jagne and an ace from Bailey Koopman.
• Back-to-back kills from juniors Holland Kaplan and Maura McAusland cut the lead down to four before the Wildcats expanded the advantage to 12-3 on two kills and two aces from Mansfield.
• JWU's lead grew to 16-4 on consecutive aces from Sierra Nausieda until VC answered with five straight points, led by two aces from Kaplan, to get within 16-9.
• Vassar's 4-0 run following two aces from first year Summer Stern along with a kill each from McAusland and senior Rebecca Gutierrez to trim the JWU lead to 21-15.
• Kills from Nevaeh Arnold and Skyler Winchester propelled the Wildcats to a 25-19 set victory.

Second Set

• Vassar responded in the second set by scoring a 5-0 lead behind three kills from McAusland, one winner from Gutierrez and an ace from junior Francesca Medrano.
• The lead ballooned to 12-3 following two kills from sophomore Eleanor Gegen and Kaplan in addition to an ace from junior T Petro.
• JWU reduced the lead to 14-6 after a block from Fatou Jagne and Arnold before the Brewers answered with kills from Kaplan and Medrano and a block from McAusland and sophomore Erin Lovett.
• Two kills from Mansfield and a winner from Brooke Caquelin trimmed the Brewers lead down to 20-11.
• VC cruised to a 25-13 set victory following a kill from Gegen and a block from Medrano and Lovett.

Third Set

• Following a block from Gegen and Lovett to put Vassar ahead 4-3, JWU tallied the next six points behind three kills from Caquelin to push the Wildcats in front 9-5.
• Vassar battled its way back to tie the set at 14 apiece after two Kaplan winners and a kill from Gutierrez.
• JWU answered with four straight points, capped by a kill from Koopman, to take a 18-14 lead.
• The Brewers answered once again and took a 22-21 lead after two aces from Lovett.
• Fatou Jagne evened it up at 22 for JWU before a McAusland kill and a service error clinched the 25-23 third set win.

Fourth Set

• JWU raced out to an 8-2 lead after two Koopman kills and three blocks from Koopman, Nausieda and Caquelin to begin the fourth set.
• Vassar got back within 15-9 on a kill apiece from Kaplan and McAusland.
• The Wildcats expanded the lead back out to 19-11 on two winners from Arnold.
• JWU sent the match to a deciding fifth set on a kill from Caquelin to take the set 25-12.

Fifth Set

• VC opened the deciding set with a 5-1 lead, led by a kill and an ace from McAusland, forcing a JWU timeout.
• A kill and an ace from Mansfield cut the advantage down to 6-3 until Vassar used blocks from first year Elena Feuer and Kaplan and Gutierrez and Lovett to expand the lead to 9-3.
• Vassar's lead ballooned to 13-5 on two kills from Kaplan and McAusland's winner clinched the 15-6 set win to take the five set victory.

For The Brewers

• Kaplan recorded a match-high 19 kills, 13 digs and three aces along with McAusland tallying 13 kills and six digs.
• Gutierrez registered seven winners while Gegen added seven kills, an ace and a block.
• Lovett chipped in two kills, two aces and four blocks along with Medrano finishing with a match-high 38 assists, 12 digs and two aces.
• Senior Ellie Kogan lifted eight digs and Stern added two aces and four digs.

For The Wildcats

• Caquelin finished with 10 kills, three blocks and four digs while Mansfield recorded 10 kills, three aces and a block.
• Koopman registered eight winners, six blocks and two aces along with Fatou Jagne tallying five kills and three blocks.
• Arnold garnered five kills, two aces, three blocks and six digs while Sophia Santacroce added 28 assists, three kills, two blocks and nine digs.
• Nausieda lifted a match-high 18 digs and added four assists and two aces.

ECSU 3 VASSAR 0

First Set

• Vassar took an early 5-1 lead following winners from Gegen and Kaplan to open the first set.
• Eastern Connecticut State battled back to take a 6-5 lead after two kills from Emma Robinson and one winner from Allegra Copeland.
• The Warriors lead expanded to 14-10 behind a kill from Ariah Davis and an ace from Samantha Blandford.
• ECSU's advantage grew to 21-12 on a block from Addison Soleau and Copeland.
• Vassar got within 22-16 following a Gegen kill but the Warriors took the opening set on a block from Haley Jo Bridges and Sierra York.

Second Set

• Service aces from Liz Squier and Brooke Praskievicz put East Conn ahead 5-3 early in the second set.
• Two aces from McAusland and a kill from Gegen pushed VC in front 6-5.
• The Warriors regained the lead at 12-8 after a kill from Bridges and a block from Bridges and York.
• A kill apiece from Kaplan, Lovett and McAusland trimmed the lead down to 13-12.
• ECSU pulled ahead 19-13 on two kills from Praskievicz and one winner each from Robinson and York.
• Two kills from McAusland and one from Gegen cut the Warriors lead to 21-17.
• East Conn took the final four points of the set to take the second set 25-17.

Third Set

• ECSU raced out to an 11-4 lead in the third set following two kills from Soleau.
• Three consecutive winners from McAusland cut the advantage down to 12-8.
• Another McAusland kill put the Brewers within four at 16-12.
• The Warriors used three different kills along with an ace from Lauren Mosca to push the lead to 20-12.
• A kill from first year Ellen Zwerling and a block from Medrano and Gutierrez trimmed the advantage to 24-17 before the Warriors completed the sweep following a VC error.

For The Brewers

• McAusland recorded 12 kills, three aces and seven digs while Gegen chipped in five winners and two digs.
• Lovett added four kills and two digs along with Kaplan registering three winners.
• Medrano finished with 15 assists and five digs while first year Caroline Brabeck added six assists.

For The Warriors

• Robinson led the way with nine kills and seven digs along with Copeland adding eight winners and three blocks.
• Bridges finished with six kills and four blocks while Prakievicz tallied six winners and 10 digs.
• Soleau chipped in three kills and three blocks along with Squier registering two kills, 22 assists, three aces and five digs.

Up Next

• Vassar continues its road trip against Williams on Wednesday, September 24 at 7:00 p.m.