WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Opening its CAA schedule on Friday, the Northeastern women's volleyball team chalked up its first conference win of the season as the Huskies defeated William & Mary in straight sets at Kaplan Arena (25-20, 25-20, 25-21).
Northeastern (7-6, 1-0 CAA) outhit the Tribe during each set, landing a match high, 17 kills, during the second set on 35 attacks (hit .314). The Huskies combined to swing .267 across the match, cruising to the 43-31 advantage in total kills while also winning the blocking game, 8-7.
Freshman outside hitter
Evelyn Gonzalez flirted with a double-double, finishing with the team high, nine kills (hit .389), while contributing eight digs and two aces.
Natalie Shollin drilled eight kills on 14 attacks (hit .500) and added four blocks for the Huskies' cause.
Nailah Jenkins matched Shollin's blocks total and was one of six NU players that tallied between nine and five kills.
Northeastern dug out from its 9-6 deficit during the first set, winning six of the next seven points to front the 12-10 lead. After William & Mary had turned the momentum back in its favor, Shollin totaled two kills and two blocks during the Huskies' five-point run that put NU on top, 18-15, and en route to the 25-20 victory.
Two second-set kills by
Athena Ardila bookended Northeastern's early four-kill run that gave the Huskies the 10-6 lead. Despite William & Mary responding with a 10-1 scoring run that put the home team ahead, 16-11, the Huskies sided out to 18-13 before rattling off 12 of the set's final 14 points to claim the two-set lead.
Northeastern raced out to the 7-1 lead during the third set – nearly negated by the Tribe's string of five straight points.
NU relied on Gonzalez's five third-set kills to separate from William & Mary, regaining a five-point advantage at 22-17. Although the Tribe would string four points together to close within 22-21, Gonzalez scored a block and a kill late as Northeastern won the final three points of the match.
Kate Dedrick posted 11 kills and nine digs for William & Mary. Julia Brown led the Tribe with four blocks and joined Autumn Brenner with three aces.
