BEVERLY, Mass. - Behind an 18 kill, nine dig performance from Alex Dippel (Fallston, Md.), the Endicott women's volleyball team claimed a thrilling five set victory over NESCAC foe Amherst on Wednesday night. With the win, Endicott is now 3-5 on the season while Amherst falls to 3-2.
The women claimed a tight first set 25-23 as Dippel started strong, posting a 6-1-10 (.500) line in the set. Senior Lauren Sheehan (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) hit well at opposite, chipping in four of her 10 kills in the match as Endicott out-hit Amherst .263 to .194 in the frame.
The Mammoths would respond with a resounding 25-8 win in the second to tie the match at 1-1. The visitors turned the tables offensively, hitting .294 as a team in the set while holding Endicott to a season-low -.114. Marialexa Natsis (Los Angeles, Calif.) led the charge with four kills on eight error-free swings, while Annika Reczek (Miami, Fla.) and Cameron Hendricks (Glastonbury, Conn.) posted three kills each.
Endicott would show great resiliency in the third, coming back to take a 25-22 third and claim a 2-1 lead in the match. The two squads would post strong defensive efforts in the set as Endicott held Amherst to a .000 attack percentage while the Mammoths held the Gulls to a .194 average. Dippel again led the way, posting six kills on 10 swings.
The fourth set saw the visitors counter with a set win of the same score, 25-22, to set up a winner-take-all fifth set. With the fifth set played to 15, the two squads would require even more action to decide the outcome as Endicott eventually pulled out a 20-18 fifth to claim the victory. In the fifth and final set, Remi Quesnelle (Sunderland, Mass.) led the way with five of her 13 kills in the match as the Gulls hit .344 (14-3-32) as a team to take the match.
BEYOND THE BOX
- This was Endicott's first win over Amherst in program history as the Gulls are now 1-4 all-time against the Mammoths.
- Freshman middle Nicole Winkler (Southborough, Mass.) posted a 6-0-9 (.667) line in the match to go with four blocks, marking the second straight match in which she hasn't had a hitting error. On Saturday's setback to Wellesley, Winkler posted an 8-0-12 (.667) line.
- Libero Cydney Pierce (Carpinteria, Calif.) picked up a team-best 21 digs while providing consistent serve receive, while fellow defensive specialist Mackenzie Kennedy (Andover, Mass.) chipped in with 12 digs of her own.
- Setters Mareena Clotfelter (Poulsbo, Wash.) and Zoey Gifford (Natick, Mass.) combined for 51 assists and 20 digs, which saw Clotfelter record a double-double with 25 assists and 14 digs. Joining Clotfelter with a double-double was Emma Mancini (Lynnfield, Mass.) who recorded 11 kills and 15 digs.
FOR THE FOES
- The Mammoths were led by outside Emily Kolsky (Pacific Palisades, Calif.) as the sophomore posted 10 kills and five digs in the setback.
- Tying Klosky in kills was Natsis as the middle finished with 10 kills and eight assist blocks.
- Libero Hayes Honea (Redondo Beach, Calif.) finished with a match-high 26 digs while only committing one receive error in her 36 attempts.
- Setter Charlotte Duran (Newport Beach, Calif.) led all players with 35 assists.
WHAT'S NEXT
Endicott travels to Dallas, Texas tomorrow to compete in the University of Dallas Invitational. Once there, Endicott will take on Johnson & Wales (Colo.), Brooklyn and Dallas on Friday and Saturday. Amherst looks ahead to Friday when the Mammoths will host Middlebury in the NESCAC opener for both programs.