Owls Stifle Rams in Four Sets

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State junior Sarah Bingham (Reno, Nev.) posted a team-high 14 kills and added three solo blocks as the Owls secured late, critical runs in each of their three set victories, dispatching Framingham State in four sets on the road Friday night.

In a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference showdown between the top two teams in the regular season standings a season ago, the Owls and Rams split the first two sets before the Owls found late scoring runs to capture the third and fourth sets on the match (25-16, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23).

Westfield improves to 2-0 within the MASCAC and 3-14 overall while the Rams drop to 1-1 in the league and 12-6 overall.

The Owls led for the majority of the first set, holding a slim one-point lead over the Rams (17-16) heading into the later stages of the frame. Westfield would score the next eight points to cruise to a set one victory behind the service game of Julia Dangel-Garcia (Ashland, Mass.) which included two kills by Bingham and a pair of slams from first-year players' Lauren Carnes (Westfield, Mass.) and Olivia Harris (Massapequa, N.Y.).

Framingham responded by registering five of the last seven points in the second set with Anna Szymanski (Harwinton, Conn.) finishing off the set with a kill.

The Rams opened up a 19-14 lead in set three before the Owls clawed their way back into the frame. Bingham jumpstarted the rally with consecutive kills, then an attack error from the Rams cut the Framingham lead to two points.

After an Owls' service error, Westfield flipped another late set switch by posting eight of the next ten points, seven of which came via kill with the other being an ace from Bridgette McAndrews (Longmeadow, Mass.). McAndrews followed with a kill to move the frame to set point where Morgan Dority (Walpole, Mass.) uncorked the set-winning kill to give Westfield a two games to one lead.

Both teams once again found themselves in a back-and-forth fourth set with the score sitting at 23-23 after both sides traded late-game points. A Framingham attack from Natalie Reynolds (Beverly, Mass.) was swatted back by Bingham in front of the net, registering her third block of the night to put the Owls at match point. A ballhandling error for the Rams concluded the match and gave Westfield a statement victory within the conference ranks.

Bingham was joined by McAndrews, Carnes, and Julia Bartiet (Cheshire, Conn.) in recording double-digit kills. McAndrews supplied 15 digs to go along with 13 kills. Bartiet posted a scorching .562 hitting percentage after compiling ten kills.

Dangel-Garcia piled up 27 assists with Dority second on the team with 19 helpers. Michaela O'Connor (Shrewsbury, Mass.) chipped in 13 digs.

Hailey Sanders (Franklin, Mass.) led all players with 17 kills for Framingham followed by Reynolds with 15. Stella Bailey (Wrentham, Mass.) racked up 44 of the team's 46 assists.

Westfield State will look to remain unbeaten in league play as the Owls return home for their next match against Salem State on Wednesday at 7:00 P.M. from the Woodward Center in Westfield, Mass.