WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University women's volleyball team earned their first Landmark Conference victory of the season, as they took down Goucher College at the Marts Center on Friday night in straight sets.

The Colonels improve to 5-20 on the year with a 1-7 record in Landmark play, while Goucher fall to 1-20 and 0-8 against conference opposition.

Wilkes won 25-23, 25-16, 25-21, and both teams kept it close in the first set. With the score 13-12 Goucher, the Colonels flipped the momentum with a 6-1 run to take an 18-14 lead with kills from Sierra Hines (Wilkes-Barre, PA/Holy Redeemer) and Ava Wahlers (Coudersport, PA/Coudersport). Despite a late run from the Gophers, the home team did not give up the lead and won with four straight points to take the set.

The Colonels dominated the second set, not relinquishing the lead once en route to a 25-16 victory, highlighted by eight kills from senior Jenna Baron (Nanticoke, PA/Greater Nanticoke Area).

Late in the third set, Goucher looked on the verge of extending the match with the score 19-16, but two more kills from Baron and four errors by the visitors swung momentum into the Colonels favor 22-19. Wilkes then outscored Goucher 3-2 to win the set on an Alexa Cassel (Mount Joy, PA/Lower Dauphin) service ace, 25-21.

Hines led the Colonel offense with 15 kills, followed by Baron with 14. Cassel dished out 27 assists, while Annalyse Santowasso (Middlesex, NJ/Rutgers Prep) led the defensive efforts with 15 digs.

Three Gophers shared the team-high in kills with five each, while Vivian Huddleston led with 10 assists. Athena Savick led the defense with 15 digs.

The Colonels finish up the season tomorrow at the Marts Center with a senior day tri-match against Catholic University and Messiah University. The day's first matchup against the Cardinals starts at 12:00 p.m.