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THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The Wabash College volleyball team battled through several tight stretches but could not overcome a late surge by 14th-ranked Wentworth Institute of Technology, falling 3–1 Saturday evening in a neutral-site match played at Gilbert Arena on the campus of California Lutheran University.
The contest opened the Little Giants’ spring break trip to California and marked the second of three matches Wabash will play against nationally ranked opponents.
Wentworth claimed the match by scores of 25-22, 20-25, 25-22, 25-23.
Wabash (5-6) stayed within striking distance throughout the contest, producing 45 kills and 10 team blocks while hitting .183 for the match. Wentworth (11-7) countered with 48 kills and a .172 attack percentage while capitalizing on several late scoring runs to secure the victory.
The opening set featured several momentum swings with seven tie scores and three lead changes. After Wabash moved ahead 17-16 on a kill by Bawibawi Thang, the Leopards answered with a decisive run. Consecutive kills by Eli Turner and Benjamin Moughon helped Wentworth build a three-point advantage late in the set, and the Leopards held off a Wabash push to claim the 25-22 win.
The Little Giants responded strongly in the second set. Wabash used a mid-set surge to seize control after the teams were tied at 14-14. Thang delivered consecutive kills during a four-point run that pushed the Little Giants ahead 18-15, and Wabash maintained the advantage behind efficient attacking from Jaden Greenwell and Ben Donaldson to even the match with a 25-20 victory.
Wentworth regained momentum in the third set. The Leopards used a 7-3 stretch midway through the frame to turn a one-point deficit into a 15-11 lead. Wabash trimmed the margin to 21-20 before the Leopards closed with four of the final six points to secure the 25-22 win and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
The fourth set again remained close deep into the frame. After trailing by seven points early, the Little Giants mounted a rally fueled by kills from Jaden Greenwell, Shad Wilson, and Thang to cut the deficit to 23-21. Wabash added another point to pull within 24-23 before Conner Foxwell delivered the final kill to seal the 25-23 victory and the match for the Leopards.
Greenwell led Wabash with 14 kills while hitting an efficient .722 from the floor. Thang added 11 kills and a pair of service aces, while Wilson contributed nine kills and two block assists. Donaldson chipped in five kills and five block assists to help anchor the Little Giants at the net.
Setter Matthew Stitle directed the offense with 36 assists, and libero Piotr Wolan recorded a match-high 11 digs to lead the defensive effort.
Moughon paced Wentworth with 14 kills, while Turner added 12 and Foxwell finished with eight kills and five total blocks.
Saturday’s match marked the second of three contests for the Little Giants against nationally ranked opponents. Wabash defeated then 12th-ranked Baldwin Wallace last Sunday and will conclude the stretch Monday when the Little Giants face fifth-ranked California Lutheran at 6 p.m. Pacific Time.