NORTHFIELD, Vt.- The MCLA volleyball team Saturday played a tri-match with host Norwich University and the Wentworth Institute of Technology. The Trailblazers took the opener 3-1 over Norwich but were swept by Wentworth 3-0 in the neutral game.

 

MCLA 3, Norwich 1

 

MCLA got off to a quick start never trailing in the 1st set, taking it 25-20. The Trailblazers were the beneficiaries of 5 first set service aces from five different players and would also take advantage of seven Cadet attack errors as well as five service errors enroute to the early 1-0 set lead.

 

The second set was nip and tuck throughout with neither team able to pull away. Eventually it was the efficient and consistent play of the Trailblazers who had a second set hitting percentage of .364, that led them to a 25-23 win and a 2-0 lead in the match.

 

The third set was again tightly contested until at 20-all, Norwich went on a 5-1 run to close out the set, 25-21.

 

MCLA regained its footing in the fourth, putting together an 11-5 run to establish a 21-14 lead. However, Norwich came storming back with a 9-3 run of their own to tie things up at 23-23 on a Laura Farnum  ace. It took a pair of match points, but the Trailblazers finally took the set 26-24 and the match 3-1.

 

For MCLA, sophomore Chloie Garber led the way with 13 kills and 4 assists. First year Shannon O'Brien had 21 assists while classmate Elizabeth Brown of Lee led the Trailblazers with 7 digs and 3 service aces.

 

Wentworth 3,  MCLA 0

 

Wentworth sophomore Helen Barthe (Blythewood, SC) had nine kills, four assists and four digs to lead the Lyons to a convincing sweep over MCLA in the Trailblazers second match of the day 25-16, 25-17, 25-15. With the win Wentworth moves to 2-2 on the season. MCLA drops to 4-2.

 

Garber again led the Trailblazers with 7 kills. Sophomore Ellie Walter-Goodspeed finished with seven digs and five assists.

 

MCLA will kick off its MASCAC campaign on Tuesday as it travels to Framingham State for a 7 p.m. match against the defending conference champions.