PHILADELPHIA – Thomas Jefferson University volleyball team (16-10, 12-3) went into the Gallagher Center and secured a CACC Championship postseason match on their home court as the Rams were able to earn a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) win over Wilmington University of Delaware (16-13, 10-6) in Thursday night action.
 
WHAT HAPPENED
The Rams went out to a hot start with a 10-3 run. Wilmington would add three points for themselves, but Jefferson would have three in a row as well. The Rams eventually made the game 22-12 before the Wildcats would begin to take five of the next six points, cutting the lead down to six. Jefferson would get the last two points off kills to have a 25-17 win in the first set.
 
The Wildcats would keep pace with Jefferson, getting the game even at 6-6 as they would capitalize on three Ram errors. Jefferson would get ahead at 9-6, but Wilmington would tie the game at 11-11, proceeding to take the next three points as well and the lead. The Wildcats would get their lead right around 19-17, but a 7-1 run for Jefferson would get them to match point 24-20. Wilmington would get within two, but a Jess Molen kill would end the second set 25-22.
 
The Rams would look to end this match and secure a home playoff match in the opening round, with Jefferson going ahead 9-2, with four of the nine points coming on Wildcat errors. Wilmington would slowly begin to cut the Ram lead, making it 13-9. After a Ram's point, Wildcats would go on a 5-1 run and get within one-point before Jefferson would secure the next three. Wilmington would not go down, getting the game back close to 21-20 near the end of the set. The Rams would respond once more with three in a row to get match point 24-20. After two more Wildcats points, Morgan Ritchie finished the match with a kill to earn the 25-22 third set win and have a 3-0 sweep over their CACC South opponent.
 
QUICK HITS
Jess Molen: 13 kills, 5 digs, 3 service aces
Morgan Ritchie: 12 kills, 15 digs
Caroline Bond: 26 assists, 14 digs, 3 service aces
Cameron Johnson: 15 digs, 4 assists
Kalen Jordan: 3 blocks, 3 digs
Liv Erwin: 3 service aces, 3 digs
Aja Smith: 6 kills, 2 blocks
 
HISTORIC MILESTONES
Before the match, Jefferson honored Morgan Ritchie as the seventh Ram to have hit the 1,000 kill milestone in a career at the school. She earned that milestone during the Ram's match against Felician.
 
Following right behind her, Jess Molen earned a kill early in the first set to reach 1,000 kills and being the eighth Ram to do so. She was recognized during a Wilmington timeout.
 
UP NEXT
Jefferson will now look to finish the regular season strong in preparation for the postseason as the Rams will be in the Gallagher Center when they host Bloomfield College on Saturday, November 11 at 12 p.m. to conclude CACC competition.