Cummins, Owls Drop Rams in Straight Sets

WESTFIELD, Mass. – Westfield State maintained its undefeated home record with a strong performance by first-year Sydney Cummins (Nicholasville, Ky.) who racked up 15 kills and 12 digs to push the Owls to a victory over the Framingham State Rams (25-21, 25-14, 26-24) in a MASCAC match on Friday night at the Woodward Center in Westfield, Mass.

Framingham junior Stella Bailey (Wrentham, MA.) earned her third-highest assist record of the season with 31 assists.

Westfield State improved to 2-0 in conference games and raised its overall record to 8-10. Framingham's Natalie Reynolds (Beverly, Mass.) recorded 14 kills including the equalizer to tie the match 22-22 in the final set.

In an intense first set with both teams having moments of momentum, Cummins contributed six kills and three digs for the Owls while Reynolds provided four kills for Framingham. Seniors' Sarah Bingham (Reno, Nev.), Julia Bartiet (Cheshire, Conn.), and junior Hanna Nihill (Chandler, Ariz.) combined three block assists for Westfield. After being tied 12-12, a kill by Bartiet from Julia Dangel-Garcia (Ashland, Mass) gave the Owls the lead and ultimately won the set (25-21). 

Westfield stayed dominant in the second set with two kills back-to-back from junior Morgan Dority (Walpole, Mass.) that extended the score to (12-4) then from Emma Nihill (Chandler, Ariz), advancing the score to 15-5). Carly Beaulieu (Sutton, Mass.) recorded three aces throughout the second set for Framingham but Westfield secured a victory in the second set with an 11-point difference (25-14).

Framingham State carried all the momentum at the start of the third set with a lead of five points at 6-1. A rally won by Westfield cut the lead to 11-8 from a kill by Bartiet set up by Dority followed by a block from Nihill and Bartiet to cut the Rams lead to two points. WSU took the lead 12-11 after a kill by Nihill from Dangel-Garcia and went on a five-point run to make the score 15-11. Kills by Reynolds and Emma Dobbins (Henniker, NH.), both set up by Bailey, brought Framingham back into the game to tie the set at 22. Sabrina Stadelman's (New Market, Md.) block gained FSU the lead (23-22), but WSU responded by winning four consecutive points with junior Allie Hill (St. Clair Shores, Mich) acing the game-winning serve for a final score of (26-24).

Westfield State, currently on a three-game winning streak, hits the road, traveling to Salem State for a MASCAC match on Wednesday at 6:00 P.M. Framingham State will host Mass Maritime in a MASCAC match on Wednesday at 7:15 P.M.  

Written by Ashlyn Nichols – WSU Sports Information Intern