Wabash College Volleyball Faces Wentworth in Competitive Showdown

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The Wabash College volleyball team demonstrated resilience during their spring break match against the 14th-ranked Wentworth Institute of Technology, ultimately falling 3-1 on Saturday evening. This neutral-site contest took place at Gilbert Arena, located on the campus of California Lutheran University.

Match Overview

Kicking off their trip to California, Wabash played the second out of three challenging matches against nationally ranked teams. The final scores were 25-22, 20-25, 25-22, and 25-23, showcasing a competitive spirit from both teams.

Team Performance

Wabash (5-6) performed admirably, maintaining close proximity to Wentworth (11-7) throughout the match. The Little Giants recorded 45 kills and 10 blocks, achieving an attack percentage of .183. Meanwhile, Wentworth countered with 48 kills and a slightly lower attack percentage of .172, successfully leveraging key scoring runs to clinch the victory.

Set Breakdown

First Set

The match commenced with high energy, featuring seven tie scores and three lead changes. After Wabash took a narrow lead at 17-16 thanks to a kill from Bawibawi Thang, Wentworth quickly retorted with a series of powerful kills to secure a 25-22 victory.

Second Set

In the second set, Wabash mounted a counterattack. Tied at 14-14, the Little Giants surged ahead, propelled by two consecutive kills from Thang during a four-point run, ultimately winning the set 25-20 and leveling the match.

Third Set

Momentum swung back to Wentworth in set three. A 7-3 run allowed the Leopards to transform a one-point deficit into a 15-11 lead. Despite a late push from Wabash to narrow the score to 21-20, Wentworth finished strong, taking the set 25-22 and gaining a 2-1 match lead.

Fourth Set

The final set proved to be tightly contested. After a slow start, Wabash rallied back with notable kills from Jaden Greenwell, Shad Wilson, and Thang, closing the gap to 23-21. With the score at 24-23, Wentworth’s Conner Foxwell delivered the decisive kill, sealing the match with a 25-23 win.

Player Highlights

Greenwell led the Little Giants with 14 kills, demonstrating impressive efficiency with a hitting percentage of .722. Thang contributed 11 kills along with two service aces, while Wilson added nine kills and two block assists. Ben Donaldson also made his mark with five kills and five block assists. Setter Matthew Stitle orchestrated the offense with 36 assists, and libero Piotr Wolan led defensively with 11 digs.

For Wentworth, Benjamin Moughon delivered an impressive performance with 14 kills, while Eli Turner added 12 and Foxwell capped the effort with eight kills and five blocks.

Upcoming Matches

This match marks the second of three engagements for Wabash against ranked opponents. Following a win against then 12th-ranked Baldwin Wallace, the Little Giants will conclude this challenging sequence with a match against fifth-ranked California Lutheran on Monday at 6 p.m. Pacific Time.

For more updates and information on Wabash College Volleyball, visit the official Wabash College Athletics website.