WILDCATS SWEEP PRIDE IN NON-LEAGUE BOUT

WESTON, Mass. – Johnson & Wales University used set scores of 25-11, 25-22, and 25-13 in a 3-0 sweep of Regis College on Thursday night in non-conference women's volleyball action in Weston, Mass. The Wildcats improve to 7-4 with the win, while the Pride dips below .500 at 7-8.

Johnson & Wales took a 1-0 lead in the match with the 25-11 win in game one and did most of their damage at the service line. Paula Cadavid (Pawtucket, R.I.) had three aces in the game and Nastasia Kapustin (West Nyack, N.Y.) added two of her own as the Wildcats held Regis to a -.227 hitting percentage in the opening game.

The second set started much the same as the Wildcats used a Pride error to jump out to a 5-0 lead. Regis battled back and trailed 5-4 following a Rachel Bartels (Edinburg, Texas) kill. JWU eventually grabbed an 18-12 lead on an Emily Kalmink (Byron Center, Mich.) kill, but the Pride answered right back with five-straight points capped off by a Jackie Silver (West Hills, Calif.) ace to make it an 18-17 game.

Kalmink registered her fifth kill of the set to stop the run, and her sixth kill of the game book-ended a 5-0 run by the Wildcats that put the visitors in front, 23-17. The Pride's Sydney Trusty (Durham, Conn.) proceeded to take over the set, registering kills on three-straight points, before Emma Morales (San Juan, Puerto Rico) knocked down an ace to make it a 23-21 game and force a JWU timeout.

Out of the break, Kapustin and Trusty traded kills to keep it a two-point game at 24-22. The Pride saw their run come to an end, however, as a Regis service error ended the game, 25-23, and put JWU on top 2-0 in the match.

Johnson and Wales jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the third game, and again the Pride had the answer as a Haley Schulte (Fullerton, Calif.) service ace capped a quick 3-0 spurt from the Pride that made it an 8-7 game. That would be as close as Regis would get though, as the Wildcats scored 12 of the next 15 points to take a commanding 20-10 lead and never look back, wrapping up the three set sweep with a 25-13 win in the final game.

Trusty led the Pride attack with 10 kills, while Jackie Silver added four of her own and three aces. Crystina Lathrop (Houston, Texas) posted a double-double with 14 assists and 10 digs.

Johnson & Wales was led by 10 kills and three blocks from Emily Kalmink. Nastasia Kapustin notched eight kills, while Kellen Tensen (New Canaan,Conn.) had three kills, 20 assists, and six digs. Monica Cordova (Jersey City, N.J.) led the Wildcat defense with 10 digs. Paula Cadavid had six aces and seven digs in the match.

The Crimson and Gold are back in action Saturday afternoon when they travel to MIT for a tri-match with Smith College (2:00 p.m.) and the host Engineers (4:00 p.m.). Johnson & Wales travels to Simmons College for a GNAC match on Wednesday, September 29 at 7:00 p.m.