Chester Pa. (Oct. 12, 2021)- Widener University (15-7, 2-3) needed all five sets to take down Alvernia University (7-11, 0-5) in a 3-2 decision on Tuesday night in MAC Commonwealth women's volleyball action at Widener.

The opening set saw Olivia Frutiger racking up the first four points for the Golden Wolves. The first point she recorded was a kill off a pass from Alexis Schwenk. Frutiger then tallied three service aces in a row to give Alvernia the lead, 4-3.

The Golden Wolves continued to excel offensively, with Taylor Suto recording two kills of her own in the early part of the contest. Despite the strong offensive performance, Widener kept fighting and took back the lead. The Pride took the first set, 25-23.

The second set showed Alvernia's strength, as it went on a 4-1 run. As the set progressed, Widener jumped out to a 21-16 lead. This is where the Golden Wolves showed their resilience. Suto tallied four points as she dealt two kills and two service aces to spark a 9-2 run. Alvernia used this barrage of points to take the set, 25-23.

The third set once again had Alvernia starting on a 4-1 run. The Pride bounced back, though, as they went on a 13-2 run to take a commanding lead. A pair of attacking errors helped spark another late run by Widener as it sealed the set, 25-13.

Rachel Sipling opened the fourth set guiding Alvernia to a 7-2 run. As the set progressed, neither team was able to gain a strong lead. Finally, a strong push by Sipling gave the Golden Wolves the edge they needed to win the set 25-22.

The fifth set saw the Pride start strong as they jumped out to a 6-1 lead. Molly Gaffney helped fuel a quick three-point run for the Golden Wolves as they cut the deficit to just two.

This narrow deficit quickly grew as a kill by the Pride and three Alvernia attack errors helped give Widener a 10-4 lead. Despite the Golden Wolves going on a 4-1 run late in the fifth set, two kills by the Pride secured the victory, 15-12.

Frutiger led the Golden Wolves with 13 kills along with five digs and four service aces. Sipling recorded 12 kills and five digs, while Suto tallied eight kills and 13 digs. Molly Gaffney also dished out a team-high 21 assists.

Alvernia returns to action Saturday on the road at NJCU.