NORTON, Mass. – Sophomore Bry Kelly (Dunbarton, NH) had three kills and a block in a final 13-1 run that sparked the Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball team to an opening-set win on the way to a sweep of Saint Joseph's College (ME) Saturday at Emerson Gymnasium on the Wheaton College campus.

At right: Allie Luppi

Meeting  Saint Joseph's (15-6) for the first time in nine years, Eastern (10-11) erased the Monks in three sets for the third time in three meetings in the series. Set scores were 25-7, 25-16, 26-24.

Later Saturday, the Warriors came away with a 32-30 first-set conquest of Wheaton College (12-10) in one of the most thrilling sets of the season, but the Lyons rallied to capture the match in four. Set scores were 32-30, 22-25, 17-25, 22-25.

 Against Saint Joseph's, freshman Kay Mullen (Fairhaven, MA) had nine kills with a .438 attack percentage, sophomore Allie Luppi (Tewksbury, MA) 18 digs, three service aces and 17 reception attempts with no errors, freshman Amanda Tyler (Longmeadow, MA) six kills and a .500 attack percentage, senior Erynn Miller (Stratford) nine digs, senior Nicki Gasch (New Fairfield) seven kills, and junior Jess Patrizi (Beacon Falls) 21 assists and four service aces.

In the 13-1 run that capped the first set against SJC, junior Allie Henry (Middletown) added a kill and service ace and Tyler a kill, and the Monks hurt themselves with six attack errors.

The Warriors broke from a tie in the second set with eight straight points en route to the nine-point win, with freshman Adrianna Mihalek (Woodbury) killing three balls, Mullen contributing one kill and Patrizi a service ace. The Monks had three attack errors in the run.

The Warriors wrapped up the sweep with the overtime win in the third set. Gasch spoiled set point for the Monks with her seventh kill of the match to tie it at 24, and Luppi served the go-ahead and winning points. Her service ace gave the Warriors the lead, and a SJC attack error sealed the match win.

There were 21 ties in remarkable first set against Wheaton. After Mullen's kill and Luppi's service ace pulled the Warriors to within one point, neither team led by more than a point until the Warriors scored the final two points on  a Wheaton attack error and Henry's set-clinching kill.

Wheaton evened the match, however, by scoring six straight points that erased the Warriors' quick 7-2 lead in the second set and went on to the tight three-point victory. The Lyons, who snapped a four-match losing streak at the hands of Eastern, grabbed the all-important third set by breaking from an early tie to outscore Eastern, 7-2, en route to a 14-9 lead. The Warriors never led in the set after Wheaton chalked up the first three points on an Eastern service error and two quick kills.

The teams traded the early lead in the fourth set before the Lyons scored five of six points to take a 19-16 advantage.

Against Wheaton, Luppi had 18 digs and 20 receptions with one error; Henry 32 assists, Tyler six kills and a .250 attack percentage,  23 receptions with one error, two blocks, ten digs, and four service aces; Mihalek ten kills, 15 digs, and two blocks, Miller 14 digs and 18 receptions without an error; and Mullen nine kills and five blocks.

Eastern hosts Rhode Island College Tuesday at 7 p.m. in a Little East Conference match.

Eastern Conn. 3, Saint Joseph's College (ME) 0

Saint Joseph's (15-6)                                7            16            24

Eastern Conn. (10-10)                             25            25            26

Wheaton College (MA) 3, Eastern Conn. 1

Eastern Conn. (10-11)                             32            22            17            22

Wheaton (12-10)                                    30            25            25            25