WILLIMANTIC, Conn. - The Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball team raced to an 8-1 lead in the first set and trailed only once the entire evening in posting a 25-14, 25-16, 25-16 Little East Conference victory over Rhode Island College Tuesday evening at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.

After easing to the first-set victory, Eastern (11-11, 3-2 LEC) scored five straight points to pull away from a one-point lead midway through the second set, then scored four straight points after allowing the first point of the third set in defeating Rhode Island (2-20, 0-4 LEC) for the fifth time in the last six meetings.

Behind the serving of sophomore Emma Cajthaml, Rhode Island bounced back from an early four-point Eastern lead in the second set to tie the match at 11-all on an Eastern service error. Soon after, the hosts put together a string of five straight points to pull away. Freshman Kay Mullen (Fairhaven, MA) had a kill and block assists in that stretch, junior Jess Patrizi (Beacon Falls) two service aces, senior Nicki Gasch (New Fairfield) a kill, and freshman Amanda Tyler (Longmeadow, MA) a block assist.

Led by Gasch and freshman Adrianna Mihalek (Woodbury), Eastern attacked at .263. Gasch had a team-high nine kills and .368 attack percentage, Mihalek eight kills and a .421 percentage. Patrizi served five of the Warriors' ten service aces and picked up 14 assists, and senior Erynn Miller (Stratford) recorded nearly half of the team's digs by collecting 24 - her third-highest total of the year and most in a three-set match this season.

Eastern's attack percentage was its second-best of the season and best since attacking a .298 in sweep of Bridgewater State University a month ago at the Trinity College Invitational.

Rhode Island attacked at only .052 and was guilty of eight ball-handling errors. Sophomore Michelle Malboeuf led the Anchorwomen with five kills, with junior Karla Santizo and freshman Nicole Thibodeau combining for 17 digs.

Eastern visits Johnson & Wales University Saturday at noon.