Owls Soar Past Amcats, 3-0

WESTFIELD, Mass. – First-year Sydney Cummins (Nicholasville, Ky.) racked up a game-high eight kills to pace a balanced Westfield State attack as part of a 3-0 sweep of Anna Maria College in a non-conference game on the road Thursday night.

The Owls improve to 4-7 overall after winning in straight sets by scores of 25-15, 25-16, 25-11. The Amcats drop to 1-10 on the year.

Westfield opened the game with five straight points which included three service aces from Erica Majka (Agawam, Mass.). Anna Maria would get as close as three points midway through the opening set, but the Owls responded by tallying seven of the next eight points highlighted by kills from Cummins and Hanna Nihill (Chandler, Ariz.) to open up a 20-11 lead.

Cummins closed the first set with a kill, capping another string of points from the Owls, who scored four of the final five points of set one.

The Owls would pull away in the second set, punctuated by consecutive kills by Julia Dangel-Garcia (Ashland, Mass.) to push the Westfield lead to seven points (21-14) where they would secure a decisive set two win.

In the third set, the Owls extended their advantage into double digits after three straight kills from Julia Bartiet (Cheshire, Conn.) then two from Hanna Nihill gave Westfield a 19-8 lead where they would cruise to a set three win and a match sweep.

Emma Nihill (Chandler, Ariz.) finished with seven kills while her sister Hanna followed close behind with five kills. Dangel-Garcia logged 11 assists while Allie Hill (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) supplied ten digs. Majka registered six service aces to go along with nine digs. Sarah Bingham (Reno, Nev.) totaled a pair of solo blocks for Westfield.

Westfield State will travel to University of New England for two matches beginning on Saturday at 1:00 P.M. against the host Nor'easters before facing Bates at 3:00 P.M.