WEST HAVEN, Conn. - - Wrapping up their first action of the 2013 season opening tournament with the second day of the Charger Invitational hosted by New Haven, the Wilmington University volleyball team fell by 3-1 scores to Stone Hill and LIU Post on Saturday.
Set scores against Stonehill were 23-25, 25-21, 21-25, and 27-29.
Set scores against LIU Post were 18-25, 20-25, 25-22, and 25-20.
Sophomore Kaitlin DiGiacinto paced the Wilmington (0-3 overall) in Saturday's first match against Stonehill (1-2) with 12 kills. She finished with a double-double, collected 17 digs, adding two service aces and two block assists.
Shelby Henderson held the back line down with 21 digs in the opening match while Alex Siolos and Annie Scarfo added double digit digs with 11 each. Siolos added 16 assists to record the double-double as well.
At the net, Brittany Biddle led the team with two solo blocks and added three block assists for 3.5 total blocks on the match. Katie Shorter chipped in with one solo block and two block assists, adding nine kills from the middle.
The first set was all knotted at 23 after the Wildcats ran off three straight points, but following a timeout, Stonehill responded with back-to-back points to close out the set. Wilmington scored the final six points to secure a 25-21 second set and even the match, but lost four of the final five points in the third set to fall behind, 2-1. The fourth set went into extra points as the Wildcats fought off a match point at 24-23 to reach a set point at 25-24, but Stonehill eventually recorded consecutive points to take the set and the match, 29-27.
In the second match, Siolos became only the second player in program history to record a triple-double, finishing with 10 kills (10-2-31-.258), a team high 22 assists, and 15 digs. She joins Wilmington Hall of Famer Angie Estep with the combination of 10 or more kills, blocks, assists, or digs in a single match.
Freshman Allison Briley recorded a career best 14 kills in the four-set loss to LIU Post (3-0), knocking down the 14 kills on 34 attempts with only four errors for a .294 hitting percentage.
DiGiacinto led the defense with 20 digs while Kasey Couch added 18 digs and 14 assists for the double-double. Siolos was joined by Henderson with 15 digs while Scarfo added 14 digs in the match.
Biddle finished with seven kills on 15 swings without recording an error to lead the team with a .467 attack percentage. For the tournament, she collected 17 kills in 11 sets and a .289 hitting percentage while adding two solo blocks and six block assists. For her efforts, she was named to the All-Invite team.
The Wildcats will have a chance to rebound and pick up their first win of the 2013 season as they return south this upcoming week. The team opens its 2013 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference schedule with a match at Chestnut Hill on Tuesday. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
AGATE:
2013 Charger Invitational All-Invite Team
Shelby McCool – LIU Post (MVP)
Makamae Namahoe – LIU Post
Susanna Cricchi – LIU Post
Amber Cannady – New Haven
Annika Hacker – New Haven
Sydney Maxey – Stonehill
Brittany Biddle – Wilmington