SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (Oct. 14, 2010) – Led by outside hitter Elyssa Dorenfeld, the WPI women's volleyball team held on for a thrilling 3-2 triumph over Mount Holyoke College this evening at the Mildred S. Howard Gymnasium. The sophomore posted a double-double on 12 kills and 21 digs, as the Engineers claimed their third straight win over their New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) counterparts.
After dropping the first set 25-15, WPI gained control of the match with 25-13 and 25-17 wins in the second and third sets, respectively. Refusing to go away, the Lyons prevailed 25-23 in the fourth to push the contest to the limit.
The Engineers jumped out to an early 9-2 advantage in the fifth set before a final push by Mount Holyoke trimmed the deficit to 11-9. They then rattled off four straight points to close things out.
In addition to Dorenfeld, the Engineers also received solid production from sophomore outside hitter Bailey Sarber, who tallied 11 kills. Junior setter Kim Woodward dished out 45 assists, while junior defensive specialist Joan Porambo chipped in with 23 digs.
The Lyons were paced by outside hitter Martina Kneifel, who piled up 15 kills and 21 digs. It was the first year's sixth double-double of her brief career. Senior setter Kateryna Kuc amassed 30 assists for the sixth time this year and 10th time of her career while also collecting 14 digs to complete the double-double. Meanwhile, sophomore outside hitter Kathryn Brummer delivered eight kills and 19 digs, and senior defensive specialist Rosa Marruffo added 20 digs. As a team, the hosts racked up a season best 14 blocks. Junior middle hitter Tyler Protano-Goodwin led the way with two block solos and five assists.
Mount Holyoke (7-10, 0-6 NEWMAC) will take the court again on Saturday, when it competes in the LEC / NEWMAC Challenge at Plymouth State University. After facing off against Keene State College at 4:00 p.m., the Lyons will take on Plymouth State at 6:00 p.m. WPI (18-4, 4-2 NEWMAC) will also return to action on Saturday, when it travels to Western New England College for a pair of matches. The Engineers will play against Elmira College at 1:00 p.m. and Western New England at 3:00 p.m.
