MLCA Thwarts Salem State

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. –- MCLA blanked Salem State, 3-0 on Saturday afternoon in a MASCAC tilt at the Amsler Campus Center. The Trailblazers swept all three sets (25-12, 25-22 and 25-12) to improve to 15-3 on the season and 4-1 in the MASCAC. The Vikings slide to 6-9 and 1-3 in the league.

Anais Badio and Elizabeth Brown led the charge for MCLA, recording a combined 24 kills, and 13 digs, while Brown added 14 aces. Ellie Walter-Goodspeed had 13 digs and Beth Harris set up the offense with 13 assists.

Ariana Barrows led the Vikings with 11 digs while Eva Haralabatos produced seven assists. Abigail O'Connor had five kills and a block.

MCLA jumped on top 6-1 in the first set, as Salem State struggled offensively, hitting -.167 for the set. Brown, who had five kills in the set, made the score 19-7 in favor of the Trailblazers before securing the winning point in a 25-12 victory.

MCLA once again built an early lead in set two, as two kills by Chloie  Garber and Brown and a service ace by Walter-Goodspeed gave the Trailblazers a 12-6 lead. The Vikings battled back to draw within two, 18-16 following a ball handling error. A kill by Presley Shairs made it a one-point match (20-19) with Salem State tying the match at 22-ll after an ace by Shairs. However, MLCA rallied, scoring the final three points to earn the win.

The Trailblazers built a 15-6 lead after three straight aces by Walter-Goodspeed in set three. Back-to-back kills by Badio made it a 20-8 game before MCLA ended the set, scoring four of the final five points to win 25-12.