The volleyball team earned its first win of the season on Tuesday, defeating the Endicott College Gulls 3-1 in Silloway Gym. The Cardinals went into the game with something to prove, having lost the first six games of the season, but as coach Gale Lackey put it, “This was not an 0-6 team.”

The Cardinals were slow out of the gate on Tuesday, and exhibited some tentative play that led to a 23-25 loss in the first set. However, in the second set, Wesleyan hit its stride and looked like an entirely different team. The Cardinals found an offensive rhythm that had been lacking in the first set and cruised to an easy set victory, finishing the Gulls off 25-10.
Both teams played at a high level in the third frame, trading blows back and forth to battle to a 16-16 deadlock. Behind the impressive hitting of sophomores Casey Reed and Alissa Santucci and senior Ashley Farrow, the Cards began to pull away, and Reed slammed the ball over the net in decisive fashion to finish off the set 25-19. In the fourth set it was apparent which was the superior team, and through a team effort the Cards won the deciding game 25-20 to finish off the match and grab their first win of the year.

Reed led the offense in the match with 18 kills, followed by hard-hitting junior Lesley Faulkner, who added 12 kills to the Cardinals’ cause. Junior Ruby Hernandez showcased her immense talent in the contest, hustling across the floor to pick up 25 digs to lead Wesleyan’s defense. Senior setter Ellie Healy was also solid in the match, racking up 44 assists and 12 digs. Freshman Laura Volegenau had a breakthrough defensive performance on Tuesday, racking up five blocks, three of them working solo. Wesleyan improved to 2-0 all-time against Endicott with the win, as the Cardinals took a 3-2 decision against the Gulls at M.I.T. last season.

The team resumes action in the M.I.T. Invitational this weekend. Wesleyan will open the tournament by taking on perennial powerhouse Springfield in the teams’ first match since 2005. Depending on the result, the Cardinals will take on either Colby or Vassar immediately following that match. The tournament draw will be adjusted for Saturday’s matches depending on the results. Wesleyan went 3-1 in the Invitational in 2008, opening play with a 3-2 loss to Smith but recovering to sweep its next three matches, two against Benedictine (Ill.) and one against Endicott.