DANBURY, Conn. - The Western Connecticut State University women's volleyball team pushed visiting non-conference opponent Farmingdale State to the brink of a fifth set, but the Rams closed it out in four, winning 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 20-25, 25-15) on Wednesday night at Stephen Feldman Arena.
Senior Julia Stoliker (Red Hook, N.Y.) turned in the best individual performance of the match for either side, leading all players with 15 kills and adding 12 digs and a pair of aces. Sophomore Hallie Robillard (Middletown, Conn.) chipped in nine kills, 10 digs and three aces, while graduate student Taylor Thompson (West Point, N.Y.) turned in a well-rounded night with seven kills and a team-high five total blocks (two solo, three assisted). Junior Arianna LaPointe (Boynton Beach, Fla.) ran the WestConn offensive attack, dishing out 35 assists to go along with a trio of aces and two blocks.
WestConn's best set came in the third, where the Wolves hit .270 as a team — more than double their output in any other frame — to stave off the sweep. Sophomore Sophia Siruchek (Campbell Hall, N.Y.) provided a spark in that stretch with several key kills, finishing with six for the match, while freshman Sadie Casella (Marlboro, N.Y.) anchored the back row with a team-high 13 digs. Senior Ali Rondeau (Carmel, N.Y.) added two aces off the bench, and freshman Kayla Proscia (Holbrook, N.Y.) chipped in three floors.
Despite the balanced effort, Farmingdale State's Leslie Wandmacher (13 kills) and setter Sarah Rende (41 assists) proved too much down the stretch, and the Rams closed out the fourth set on a decisive run to seal the win. With the loss, WestConn sank to 2-9 overall, while Farmingdale State improved to 5-1. The Wolves will look to bounce back when they open Little East Conference play at Vermont State University Castleton on Saturday at 11 a.m.
