BY JAMES DEZIEL // Oct. 21, 2016 //

The conference rival Wentworth Leopards escaped with a win over the Curry College Colonels to increase their winning streak to eight games, and solidify their top-three spot in the Commonwealth Coast Conference.

The Colonels struggled early on, with communication failure being a critical factor in their loss.  The Leopards took advantage and handily won the first set by a score of 25-10.  Wentworth Freshman Leah Rogoz scored a great attack during the set to help contribute to her 19 kills (the most by any player all game).

Curry’s comeback wouldn’t begin to take form until later, as its communication woes would continue to hinder its success.  One missed opportunity was because of a ball sailing too high and hitting a suspended basketball net.  This would result in a point for the Leopards and they would go on to win that set, 25-18.

After the second straight loss, the Colonels rallied together and played much tighter.  Their messages were finally getting across, and they led a strong offensive effort.  However, Wentworth wasn’t going down without a fight.  They continued to keep us on our toes until sophomore Grace Stafford scored the set-winning point.  Curry won by a 28-26 score, but their fight was not over yet.

The Colonels continued to eradicate their earlier communication mishaps and led yet another strong offensive effort down two sets to one. Both teams began to play their best volleyball, but Curry maintained a slight edge and squeezed out a win to tie the match with a 25-23 score.

The fifth set, which is only played until 15 points, would be the best of the night.  Freshman Shea Matthew’s service ace would be just one highlight amongst many shining offensive plays from the Colonels.  However, after taking a 13-12 lead, Curry let up a three-point run and with that, the Leopards escaped the Eleanor M. Katz Gymnasium with the win.

The fifth set was not without its drama, though.  About halfway through, a referee would stop the game to speak with the Curry coaches.  From the bleachers, while you couldn’t hear what was said, you could tell there was a disagreement from Elizabeth Morris, Curry’s head coach.

When asked about the strange occurrence, Morris said that “the rotation was off and we were off the rotation by one spot.  They didn’t pick it up on the bench until after.  And so they needed time to correct it.”  That’s not an excuse for the loss, she said, though.  When asked if that affected the outcome of the game, she quickly denied it.

Over-Kill: In the extended match, four players recorded double-digit kills, with Stafford the only Colonel to register more than ten, with 17 total.

Can You Dig It?: With her 12 digs, junior Courtney Carroll has now racked up over 300 digs on the season, the fifth-most in the CCC.

Homecoming: The Colonels will return to action Saturday at noon as a part of Homecoming weekend on the campus of Curry College. Following the volleyball match, Football plays Maine Maritime Academy at 1 and Men’s Soccer plays Gordon College at 5:30.