Salve Regina women's volleyball advances to semifinal with sweep of Wentworth

BOSTON, Mass. – Sophomore Cassidy Trablicy (Phoenix, Ariz.) recorded 12 kills, three aces, and five blocks to help pace the fifth-seeded Salve Regina University women's volleyball team to a 3-0 win over fourth-seeded Wentworth Institute of Technology in a Commonwealth Coast Conference quarterfinal match played at Tansey Gymnasium.

With the win the Seahawks improve to 17-10 and will travel to top-seeded Endicott on Tuesday night for one semifinal match. The Leopards see their best season in program history come to an end with a 23-6 mark.

Salve Regina jumped out to a 12-6 lead in the opening set before Wentworth used a 15-7 run to take a 21-19 lead on a kill from Samantha Lassiter (Rogers, Ark.). After the Seahawks tied it at 21-all, Lassiter recorded a pair of block assists – one with junior Caroline Shea (Abington, Mass.) and the other with junior Katelyn Carlson(Stratford, Conn.) to take a 23-21 lead. Trablicy teamed with freshman Annie Donahue (Chelmsford, Mass.) on a block which tied the set at 24-all and the Leopards had set point at 28-27 after a kill form Shea. However, a service error evened the set at 28-all, junior Samantha Salwa (Ellington, Conn.) and junior Samantha Higgins (Coventry, R.I.) combined for a block, and Trablicy served an ace to give the Seahawks a 30-28 win.

The second set featured nine ties and six lead changes as Salve Regina went ahead 2-0 with a 25-19 win. Both teams went nearly point-for-point in the opening with freshman Claire Quick (Mission Viejo, Calif.) recording a kill to tie the set at 11-all. That sparked a 4-0 spurt which gave the hosts a 14-11 lead after another kill from Quick. The Seahawks tied the set at 16-all, 17-all and at 18-all; all coming on kills from Trablicy. Her kill which tied it at 18-all sparked a 5-0 run which would give Salve Regina the lead for good.

Wentworth took a 7-4 lead in the third set on a solo block from senior Stephanie Nihan (Dracut, Mass.), however a 6-2 Salve Regina run gave the Seahawks a 10-9 lead on a kill from junior Fracesca Testani (Shelton, Conn.). The Leopards battled back to tie the set at 13-all on a block from Lassiter and classmate Leah Rogoz(Woodridge, Ill.) and at 15-all on a kill from Carlson. However, a kill from Higgins started a 10-3 run which closed out the set, 25-18, and gave Salve Regina the win.

In addition to Trablicy, Donahue had nine kills and five blocks, Higgins had five kills and four blocks, and Testani had five kills. Salwa had 31 assists and sophomore Megan Parham (Tulsa Okla.) had 18 digs.

Rogoz had 12 kills, seven digs, and three blocks to pace the Leopards. Quick added nine kills, nine digs, and a block, Carlson had five kills, nine digs, and three blocks, Lassiter had five kills, three aces, and six blocks, freshman Katie Close (Hudson Falls, N.Y.) had 18 assists, and sophomore Lillie Clark (Vista, Calif.) had 11 digs.