Crowley Sisters Lead Owls to Sweep over MCLA

WESTFIELD, Mass. – The Westfield State senior sister tandem of Shawna Crowley (Billerica, Mass.) and Ashley Crowley (Billerica, Mass.) totaled 22 kills to lead the Owls to a sweep over MCLA (25-22, 25-19, 25-23) in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference game from Amsler Campus Center in Pittsfield, Mass. On Wednesday night.

The Owls improve to 5-1 in the MASCAC and 9-10 overall while the Trailblazers fall to 4-2 in the conference and 13-7 on the season.

The opening set was closely contested as it came down to the final points to decide the outcome. With the Owls up 22-21, Sarah Bingham (Reno, Nev.) and Ashley Crowley tallied consecutive kills to move the game to set point. After an Elizabeth Brown (Lee, Mass.) kill for MCLA, the Owls closed the set on a Trailblazers attack error to secure an opening set victory.  

In set two, after a Westfield timeout with a three-point lead, the Owls scored the final three points of the set, which included kills by both Ashley and Shawna Crowley to take a commanding two sets to none advantage.

In the third set, the lead changed hands four separate times in the final 20 points. With the score knotted at 22 apiece, a Bridgette McAndrews (Longmeadow, Mass.) service ace captured a pivotal point. Brown answered for MCLA with a kill to even the score again at 23. On the ensuing point, Shawna Crowley buried her match-leading 12^th kill of the game off a set assist by Julia Dangel-Garcia (Ashland, Mass.) to put the Owls at match point. Westfield would wrap up the match on the next point via an attacking error by the Trailblazers.

Ashley Crowley also reached double-figure kills for the Owls, registering ten and adding ten digs as well. Bingham was next in line with seven kills, while also leading the match with three blocks. Dangel-Garcia was the primary facilitator, compiling 27 of the Owls 35 total assists. Four different Westfield players managed double-digit digs with Shawna Crowley pacing the squad with 17. Dangel-Garcia and Allie Hill (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) recorded 14 and 11 digs.

Westfield State currently sits tied atop the MASCAC standings with Framingham State. Both teams have one game remaining in league play to determine seeding for the MASCAC tournament. The Owls would clinch the number one overall seed in the league with a victory over Mass. Maritime on Saturday, October 29 and a Framingham loss to Worcester State on the same day.

Before entering back into conference play, the Owls will compete in a tri-match at Rhode Island College with two non-conference matches against Mass. Maritime (conference game on 10/29) and Rhode Island College on Saturday with start times of 2:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M.