Women's Volleyball Drops Heartbreaker to Bridgeport

PHILADELPHIA – Thomas Jefferson University women's volleyball (9-14, 4-4) took on the University of Bridgeport (14-9, 7-3) in a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) matchup that was also the rematch of last year's CACC Championship Finals contest. The Rams pushed the game and forced a fifth set, but were unable to pull through as they fell to the Purple Knights 3-2 in Saturday afternoon competition. 

WHAT HAPPENED 

• The first two sets shared similar scores with different results. Bridgeport took the first set 25-23 off a 30% hitting percentage over the Rams. Jefferson tied it at 23-23, but the Purple Knights took the final two points. 

• The Rams responded with a 25-23 second set win. Bridgeport went ahead for most of the set, but Jefferson did not back down. Morgan Ritchie, Morgan Martin, Caroline Bond, Liz Tanis, and Emily McKenna all had kills during that set. 

• After the Purple Knights went ahead 23-22, the Rams took the final three points to win 25-23 and tie the series at 1-1 

• Bridgeport had control over the third set, going ahead early 13-4. A 7-1 run put Jefferson down by three points, but the Purple Knights kept their foot on the gas that eventually led them to a 25-17 win. This put Bridgeport up 2-1 

• Both teams looked to take control of the fourth. They traded points, even passing 25 in the set, with the tides going to Jefferson's way. They took the fourth 27-25 

• The fifth set saw the Purple Knights go ahead 5-2. Jefferson tied it at 10-10, but Bridgeport took five of the final seven points to win 15-12 and take the series 3-2. 

• Morgan Ritchie tied a season-high 22 kills while also being one of five Rams with 10+ digs on the day. Caroline Bond also tied a season-high, adding 51 assists in the match.  
   

QUICK HITS 
Morgan Ritchie: 22 kills, 15 digs 
Emily McKenna: 14 kills, 25 digs 
Morgan Martin: 13 kills, 4 digs 
Caroline Bond: 51 assists, 26 digs, 4 kills 
Cameron Johnson: 19 digs, 7 assists 
Elaine DeLallo: 18 digs, 2 assists 

CLOSING IN ON 1,000 DIGS AND SCHOOL HISTORY 
With 15 digs on the day, Ritchie is now at 996 digs in her career. She needs four more to become the fourth Ram in school history with 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. She would join Emily Krauss (2004-07), Celena Rendon (2006-09), and Courtney Wensel (2015-18) on that list. 

UP NEXT 
With only six conference games left, the Rams to lock their spot in the CACC Tournament. Jefferson will take a step towards that goal as they head for the first of their four straight road games on Wednesday, October 30 as the Rams take on Wilmington University of Delaware in CACC South action at 7 p.m. Jefferson fell to the Wildcats earlier this season 3-0 on September 18.