Lee Pounds Down 20 Kills and Adds 14 Digs For Double-Double

SWARTHMORE, Pa. – Visiting Washington College scored the last three points of the third set to turn a 24-23 deficit into a 26-24 set win and lifted the Shorewomen to a 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 26-24) sweep of host Swarthmore at Tarble Pavilion in Centennial Conference volleyball action on Tuesday night.  Washington is now 12-5 on the year and 2-1 in the Centennial Conference, while the Garnet drop to 11-5 and 1-2 respectively. 

With the win, Washington snapped an eight-match losing streak to Swarthmore and picked up its first win the series since a five-set victory on September 21, 2004.  The 12-5 start is the team's best record after 17 matches in nine years when the 2004 team opened up the year 12-5.

In the third set, Swarthmore led 24-23 and were one point away from a fourth set when Washington won the final three points of the set to take the set and the match.  But the Shorewomen tied the set at 24-24 on a kill by sophomore outside hitter Kristin Lee (Dayton, Md./River Hill) and Lee gave WC the lead on her 20th kill of the night at 25-24.  The Shorewomen won the set and match on a kill down the left side by freshman outside hitter Caitlin Cooney (Gaithersburg, Md./Covenant Life School) to snap the eight-match losing streak to the Garnet.  It was Cooney's second set-clinching kill of the match as she also ended the second set with a kill with the assist from senior setter Lauren White (Huntingtown, Md./Huntingtown).

Washington raced out to a 7-1 lead in the first set on a kill by White with sophomore middle hitter Jess Daunoras (Shamong, N.J./Seneca) netting the assist and led to a Swarthmore timeout.  The Shorewomen led 16-13 when they closed out the set on a 9-4 run to take the opening set 25-17.  Freshman right-side hitter Alexis Jordan (Royal Palm Beach, Fla./Seminole Ridge) clinched the opening set with a kill courtesy of a White helper.  The guests hit .370 in the opening set on 22 kills and just five errors in 46 attempts.

The Shorewomen took a 6-1 lead in the second set on an attack error by the Garnet.  Swarthmore would cut it to 9-8 on a service ace by Danielle Sullivan.  Washington countered with a 6-1 run to take a 15-9 lead on a Daunoras kill.   After a pair of kills by Swarthmore's Brone Lobichusky to cut the WC lead to 15-11, White countered with consecutive kills of her own to take a 17-11 lead and led to a Swarthmore timeout.  Up 18-15, the Shorewomen scored seven of the final nine points of the set to grab the second set by eight points.  A kill by Cooney on a feed from White secured the second set for the visitors as WC hit .345 as a team in the middle set.

The teams were tied 12-12 in the third set when Washington won three straight points to take a 15-12 lead on a Daunoras kill to lead to a Garnet timeout.  Out of the timeout, Swarthmore responded with five unanswered points to grab a 17-15 lead following an attack miscue by the Shorewomen.  Swarthmore led 21-18 following an attack error by Washington before the Shorewomen scored three straight points to knot the set at 21-21 on a kill by Lee.  Washington took a 23-22 lead on a kill by Jordan and that led to a timeout by the Garnet.  Chasity Hopkins tied the set with a kill and Sullivan gave Swarthmore a 24-23 lead on a kill. 

Washington got a 20-kill and 14-dig performance from Lee for her eighth double-double of the season and her 20th career double-double.  Jordan had 10 kills for the Shorewomen in the win as the team hit .275 in the win.  Freshman defensive specialist Audrey Utchen (San Ramon, Calif./Monte Vista) had 17 digs to lead all players, while freshman hitter Rachel Baker (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) added 12 digs.  White passed out 43 assists to lead all players, while Daunoras tied for match-high in blocks with three.

For the hosts, Lobichusky had 11 kills to lead the way for Swarthmore.  Sam DuBois tallied a double-double with a team-high 23 assists to go along with 11 digs.  Sullivan and Madison Heppe had 13 digs apiece to lead the Garnet, while Anastasia White-Torruellas had 10 digs.  Hopkins tied Daunoras for match-best in blocks with three.

The Shorewomen are on the road again this Saturday for a tri-match at Muhlenberg.  The Shorewomen will play host Muhlenberg in a Centennial Conference contest at noon and Hood in a non-conference match at 2:00 p.m.