BOSTON – The University of Massachusetts Boston scored nine of ten points to pull away in the all-important second set and went on to a three-set sweep of Eastern Connecticut State University in the Little East Conference women's volleyball opener for both teams Thursday evening at the Clark Athletic Center. Set scores were 25-15, 25-16, 25-17.

A winner of 27 of its last 28 regular-season conference matches, UMass Boston (6-4) attacked at .247 and with the help of 12 block assists, limited Eastern (4-5) to an -0.33 attack percentage – well below its season percentage.

First-year freshman libero Allie Luppi (Tewksbury, MA) handled 19 serves with two errors and led the way with nine digs. Senior middle hitter Katie Wilson (Pittsburg, CA) and first-year junior outside hitter Samantha Browning (Mystic) combined for 11 of the Warriors' 20 kills. Three of Eastern's starters had negative attack percentages. Wilson, the LEC leader in points (4.61 per set), added four digs and two blocks and Browning six digs and three service aces. Sophomore setter Allie Henry (Middletown) totaled 17 assists.

UMass Boston 6-foot-2 inch senior middle hitter Shannon Thompson, a three-time All-America, collected nearly half of her team's kills (16 of 36) and attacked at .609. Six-foot-two inch senior defensive specialist Kayla Wilson picked up ten digs, 6-foot-1 inch freshman middle hitter Molly Witzmann four blocks and junior Megan Pollock and freshman Emma Rocha combined for 31 assists.

 Eastern faces  Wheaton College (MA) at  1 p.m. and host U.S. Coast Guard Academy at 3 p.m. Saturday.