RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Tuesday night in JJJ Gymnasium, N#2 Felician Volleyball hosted the first round of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference playoffs against S#3 Wilmington (Del.) University. In the event of Felician trying to secure their revenge after the 3-2 regular season loss to the Wildcats, the visitors toppled the hosts in a 3-0 sweep and cut the Golden Falcon's postseason run short. 

In just three sets, the Wildcats held the Golden Falcons to at most 21 points, which occurred in the third. The Golden Falcons posted 29 errors on 117 attacks for a .034 hit percentage to shift the match momentum into the hands of the Wildcats. 

Here's What Happened: 

• Felician jolted out in front with swift 4-0 lead on kills by Karla Maldonado (Morovis, Puerto Rico) and Megan Barker (St. Catharine's, Ontario). After another Barker kill, the Wildcats did a five point turn around and they flipped the score 8-6 in their favor... mainly on green-and-gold attack errors. 
• The Wildcats dominated the net throughout the rest of the set when they recorded a .222 hit percentage to take the first set 15-25. 
• Throughout the second set (18-25), the Wildcats posted their highest kill number of 13 with only five errors to put Felician in the trenches for the 2-0 lead.
• As the end of the third was drawing near, the Golden Falcons battled to stay alive when they were able to tie at 21 after trailing 15-20. Tatum Williams (Corona, C.A.), Maldonado, and Baker led the charge with kills, blocks, and services aces to equalize the score, however, Wilmington upended the Golden Falcon reign and recorded four consecutive points to finalize the match with a 21-25 third set win. 

Key Players/Box Score Insights:

• Second-Team All-CACC outside hitter, Maldonado, and freshman, Barker, paced the green-and-gold offense with 11 kills apiece.
• Maldonado posted two service aces as well as snagging 16 digs in the process. 
• Williams defended the net with five blocks alongside Jelena Vucic (Smederevo, Serbia) who had four and Sara Betts (Goodyear, A.Z.) three. 
• Third-Team All-CACC libero, Miquela Martinez (Santa Fe, N.M.) capped off her final match of her career with 12 digs. Despite the defeat, the graduate student has made her mark representing the green-and-gold, from records, court presence, and as a captain for the squad. 
• Sophia Watterson (Bowling Green, K.Y.), who put herself in the record book earlier in the season with 50 assists, aided in the offense with 22 in Tuesday's contest. 

And..... that's a wrap for the 2023 Felician Volleyball season. In the face of tonight's loss, the Golden Falcons have made substantial improvements to their team and overall record since the 2022 season... They closed out their current regular season with an 13-15 overall and 11-5 CACC record and last year they held a 4-25 overall and 3-15 CACC record to miss the postseason.