KEENE, N.H. – The Keene State College women's volleyball team allowed Western Connecticut State University and Bates College to hit a combined .271 as they dropped a pair of matches by a 3-0 score at Spaulding Gymnasium on Saturday.  The Wolves took the Little East Conference opener for both teams by 25-22, 25-18, and 25-23, and the Bobcats then followed up with a 25-17, 25-22, 25-21 win that sent the Owls to eighth loss in their last 10 matches.

Records

• Keene State:  4-9, 0-1 LEC
• Western Connecticut:  7-4, 1-0 LEC
• Bates:  3-7

Postgame Interview (Coach Weiner) - Western Connecticut
Postgame Interview (Coach Weiner)  - Bates

How It Happened
The opening set of the day proved to be a small snapshot of what was to come, as KSC hung around and was usually within a run of taking the lead, but those were few and far between – and often executed by the opposing team – as the Owls were sent to a pair of losses. 

After Keene State was within 10-8 in the first, they then allowed WestConn to score five straight and 10 of 14 to open a 20-12 lead.  What seemed like a sure set loss turned very interesting, however, as the Owls battled all the way back to tie it at 21 with a 9-1 burst capped by a block from Stephanie Olah and Annaliese Rudberg.  Olah tied it once more at 22 with a kill, but KSC's late-set troubles continued as the Wolves took the match lead with three straight points, two on kills and the final one on an ace.

Ultimately, the Owls struggled to contain WestConn's offense, allowing them to hit .305 in the match including at least .375 in each of the final two sets.  After making eight errors in the opening set and being outhit by KSC .212 to .175, they made only five errors in the rest of the match.  Just as happened in the first frame, WCSU pulled away in the middle of the second.  Olah made it 9-7 with another kill before the Wolves scored four straight on three kills (two from Julia Stoliker) and an ace from Sydney Slupatchuk to go up six.  KSC called a timeout at 20-14, but never got closer than five as they fell into a deep 2-0 match hole.  Ahead 21-16, Stoliker – who finished with a team-high 13 kills – added three more to her total to close out a 25-18 set win.

Keene State did not take their first lead in the third until it was 11-10, but they rode that momentum to a three-point (14-11) lead a short time later on swings from Molly Wetherbee and Gigi Stake.  It was still 16-14 Owls a few moments later, but WestConn then put up five in a row to take their own three-point lead at 19-16.  KSC bounced back with a 7-2 burst to take a 23-21 lead, a span that finished with a pair of kills from Jessica Timothy as they looked to take the first step of a 2-0 match comeback done once previously this season against Skidmore College on September 2 in the third match of the season.  However, it was not to be, as a service error gave WCSU the ball back, and the visitors tied it at 23 on a kill from Anna Cascapera.  Sarah Bartels then misfired for KSC, and Stoliker's ace handed the Owls a sixth three-set loss in 2023.

Holding leads in the middle of sets also proved to be problematic against Bates in the first meeting between the sides since 2008.  Down 1-0 in the match, Keene State appeared to be in reasonably good shape with a 15-11 edge after Savannah Soleau's kill.  However, seven points later the Owls found themselves down three (18-15).  Jordyn Mik and Stake helped put up four in a row to give KSC the lead back, and it was 21-19 Owls when Rudberg and Olah stuffed Ami Evans.  Leading 22-21, Keene State again could not make the extra few plays to close a set, instead making a pair of miscues to put the Bobcats ahead, and the visitors then closed it out with a kill from Katie Kortekaas and an Eden Lorin ace.

KSC moved out to a 9-5 advantage in a must-win third set and forced a Bates timeout as they widened the gap to 12-6 on kills by Stake and Rudberg around an ace for Theresa Norris.  It was still a 17-12 Owl advantage later, but they then surrendered 12 of the next 15 points to tumble into a 24-20 deficit.  KSC was down two (21-19) and called a timeout, getting a block to get back within one, but scored only one point after that and went down 25-21 after having the earlier five-point lead.  The Owls were outhit .238 to .118 on the match, including allowing the Bobcats to hit .344 in the opening set.  Keene State could then not overcome 12 attacking errors in the second frame, which was as many as Bates made in the entire match.  The Owls hit .222 in the third, but the Bobcats, who had lost three straight and nine consecutive sets, hit .263.  KSC was outhit in five of six sets on the day.

Olah finished with nine kills and no errors, hitting .600, against WestConn.  Bartels (.211 pct.) and Timothy (.286 pct.) each had six kills.

Stoliker paced WCSU with 13 kills on .313 hitting while adding three assists, two aces, and five digs.  Taylor Rohan had 10 kills (.643 pct.) and Helen Megson eight.
KSC rotated more people through against Bates, getting first years Lauren Bender and Jordyn Mik action.  Rudberg finished with eight kills and hit .438, two aces, two blocks, and three block assists.  Stake also had eight kills.

Service Aces

• Keene State's loss to WestConn was their second straight (both by 3-0 scores) after winning the previous nine meetings.  It was only the fourth win ever for the Wolves at Spaulding Gymnasium.
• Rudberg has 18 kills and four miscues in the last four matches.
• Opponents have 39 aces against the Owls in the last three matches.
• Western Connecticut swept Bates 3-0 in the day's middle match, winning 25-11, 25-20, and 25-23 to beat the Bobcats for the second time this season.  Bates was outhit .179 to .000.

Up Next

• Keene State travels to face Colby-Saywer College (2-12, 1-2 GNAC) on Wednesday, September 27 at 7:00 p.m. before another home tri-match next weekend.
• WestConn goes to St. Joseph's University (Long Island) (5-4, 1-0 Skyline) on the same night at 7:00.
• Bates visits Trinity College (Conn.) (6-4, 0-2 NESCAC) for a league matchup on Friday (September 29) at 7:00 p.m.