Box Score
CALDWELL, N.J. – The Caldwell College volleyball team suffered its first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference loss of the season, falling to Wilmington University in five sets Saturday afternoon in the George R. Newman Center. The result drops the Cougars to 9-8 overall and 6-1 in league play, while the Wildcats, who won by scores of 22-25, 25-13, 25-10, 20-25, 15-10, are now 11-8, 6-1 CACC.

Caldwell won a close first set, getting three kills from freshman outside hitter Taylor Zaeske (S. Milwaukee, WI/S. Milwaukee) and nine digs from junior outside hitter Athena Nestoras (Los Angeles, CA/St. Monica) in a 25-22 win. The Wildcats responded by hitting .423 in the second set and .435 in the third to cruise to 25-13 and 25-10 victories. But the Cougars were able to regroup and regain momentum in the fourth set with 18 kills, including six from Zaeske and five by Nestoras, to hold off Wilmington and force a fifth set.

The Wildcats jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the deciding set before Caldwell was able to close the gap at 10-8. But Wilmington used kills by Allison Briley and Katie Shorter to take a 13-9 advantage en route to a 15-10 win.

Zaeske led all players with 19 kills, while Nestoras had a team-best 21 digs to go with 11 kills. Freshman setter Rachel Carpenter (Newark, OH/Newark) registered 42 assists and 11 digs, while senior middle blocker Kasey Bausch (Bellmore, NY/Holy Trinity) had five total blocks to go with five kills. Bausch is now four blocks shy of the program record for career blocks of 213, held by former all-CACC performers Titilola Alao and Amber Mosher. The Wildcats were led by Brittany Biddle with 15 kills and Shorter with 11 kills and nine total blocks. Wilmington held a 13-5 advantage in blocks for the match.

Caldwell plays a CACC match at Dominican College on Wednesday, Oct. 9, beginning at 7:00 p.m. in Orangeburg, N.Y.

CC (2) – 25 13 10 25 10
WU (3) – 22 25 25 20 15