After a slow start in the first set, Wesleyan blew by Western Connecticut State University this Wednesday. The win marked the fourth year in a row that the Cardinals have embarrassed its Continental neighbors.

Western Conn has been a formidable contender in its conference, holding an impressive record of 10-3 before the match. They came out strong in the first set, taking the Cardinal squad by surprise and winning 25-21.

The opening loss seemed to light a fire under the Cardinals. Western Conn didn’t have a chance as Wesleyan took the next three sets, 25-17, 25-17, 25-13. As has been the case in other matches, Wesleyan was able to utilize a large part of its bench as 10 Cardinals entered the game to contribute.

Leading the team in kills was co-captain Lisa Drennan ’09 with 12, while Alicia Garrison ’09, Ashley Farrow ’10, and Alissa Santucci ’12 all had five or more kills each. Drennan also sported an impressive .423 hitting percentage. Anchoring the team at defense was Ruby Hernandez ’11 who had an impressive 20 digs, followed by Anna Williams ’09 with 10.

Wesleyan will host Amherst and Trinity this Saturday, both important NESCAC matches. Amherst currently tops the NESCAC standings at 3-0, while Trinity has had more troubles and sits in the eighth position at 1-3. Both teams will be opportunities for Wesleyan to gain points in this year’s very competitive conference.