(IMMACULATA, Pa.) – Wilson capped off a busy week with a split with Immaculata on the road in non-conference action on Saturday afternoon. The Phoenix came from behind to win the opener in thrilling fashion before the Mighty Macs bounced back to take the back end in a sweep.
The Basics
Scores: Match 1 – Wilson 3, Immaculata 2 (19-25, 25-23, 14-25, 25-16, 15-11)
Match 2 – Wilson 0, Immaculata 0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-22)
Venue: Alumnae Hall
Records: Wilson 5-10, Immaculata 4-12
How It Happened (Match 1)
- Wilson overcame an 8-3 start by the Macs to use a 6-1 run aided by a pair of Wyatt Tribett (So., Myersville, Md. / Middletown) kills to take a 13-12 lead midway through the first. Unfortunately, the Macs answered with an 11-3 run to take a commanding lead in the end game of the opening set en route to a 1-0 lead. Thankfully the Phoenix were able to bounce back in the second. Tied at 21-all, kills from Saria Alshaikhali (Sr., Jeddah, Saudi Arabia / Hayfield), Vincent Natale (So., Mt. Airy, Md. / Linganore), and Jacob McCoy (So., York, Pa. / Spring Grove) helped push the Phoenix to pull even by the narrowest of margins.
- The third set saw Immaculata slowly pull away as the game went on and eventually gave the hosts a 2-1 lead. Once again, however, the Phoenix were able to bounce back. The fourth proved to be their best set of the night as the Blue and White never trailed. They scored the opening three points and led 12-5 in the early moments. Kills from McCoy, Demetrius Simmons (So., Mechanicsburg, Pa. / Mechanicsburg), and Alshaikhali helped Wilson take an 18-10 lead before eventually leading by nine.
- The all-important fifth set saw the Macs take an early 5-2 lead. Three consecutive errors by the Macs, the last which was the result of a Simmons block, gave Wilson an 8-7 lead and helped the Phoenix momentum spark. Although the Macs scored the next point, Wilson took an 11-8 lead thanks to another Simmons block. Immaculata got back within one on a couple of occasions, but a Macs error, an Alshaikhali kill, and a Simmons ace gave Wilson the win.
How It Happened (Match 2)
- Looking to keep the momentum rolling in the second match, Wilson and Immaculata we even at 17-all before the Macs closed the set with an 8-2 run. The hosts fed off that and jumped out to a 9-3 lead to start the second. The Phoenix eventually were able to climb back and take the lead at 18-17 after a 6-1 run was capped on a swing from Alshaikhali. Unfortunately, the Macs ended the second the way the did the first on an 8-2 run to go up 2-0.
- The third set proved to be just as close as the rest of the day. The bad thing for Wilson was that they were on the small end of the scoreboard in this set as well. Tied at 19-all, Immaculata scored the next three points to put the Phoenix against the wall. Alshaikhali got Wilson back on track with a kill to make it 23-21, but the Macs got kills on two of the next three points to take the win.
Inside The Numbers
- Alshaikhali led the offense with 19 kills on the afternoon. The bulk of them came in the opener where he had a dozen. He made it a double-double in the win with 11 digs and added seven more pick-ups in the second match.
- McCoy had 14 kills on the day with eight in the opener. Tribett and Simmons had six kills in the opener while Koontz had six in the closer.
- Defensively the first match had a total team effort on the receiving end with four players in double-figures. In addition to Alshaikhali, Camden Sterner (FY, Spring Grove, Pa. / Spring Grove) reached double-figures with 12 digs, while Tribett and Natale added 11 each. Simmons was close to making it a quintet with nine digs.
- Tribett continued the trend in the second match as he had a baker's dozen.
- Vincent was busy setting up the attack and tallied 52 assists on the day. Thirty came in the first match alone.
Up Next
One match remains before conference play starts up for the Phoenix. That will come against Neumann on the road on Wednesday with a start time of 7 p.m.
