WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Wesleyan University women's volleyball team scored the final three points of the final set to cap a comeback from two sets down and post a five-set victory over Eastern Connecticut State University Wednesday night at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium. Wesleyan won by 18-25, 19-25, 25-18, 25-19, 15-12.

At right: Kay Mullen, attacking against Wesleyan a year ago in Middletown, totalled 14 kills Wednesday night against the Cardinals at Geissler Gym which represented her second-highest total in a match in her two-year career.

Off to its best start after six matches since 2007, Wesleyan (6-1) ran off nine straight points to take command of the fourth set and force a deciding set, then battled back after giving up the first four points of the fifth set.

Down 4-0 in the fifth set, the Cardinals scored seven in a row. The Warriors scored four straight late in the set, finally tying it at 12-12 on a service ace from Michelle Valliere (Lebanon), before the Cardinals ended a two-year losing streak to Eastern by scoring the final three points. Freshman Sarah Small gave Wesleyan the lead for good in the fifth set with a kill, and after an Eastern attack error, Claire Larson's block solo ended the match.

In the first set, Eastern went ahead for good midway through the set, pulling away for the win. There were five ties in the early going of the second set, but consecutive kills from Kay Mullen (Fairhaven, MA) gave Eastern the lead and the momentum for good. Wesleyan remained alive with the third-set victory, breaking a 15-15 tie with three straight points, two coming on kills from Tyla Taylor.

The Warriors put themselves in position to lock up the match by moving out to a 12-8 lead in the fourth set before the Cards put together their run of nine straight points for a 17-12 advantage. With Wesleyan leading 13-12, Larson served three aces and Abby Southam recorded a kill to vault Wesleyan to the six-point win.

Freshman Sarah Swenson led Wesleyan with 17 kills, Taylor adding 13 kills and 18 digs and Small 11 kills. Larson had four service aces, 12 digs and 50 assists and libero Rachel Savage 18 digs.

Mullen led Eastern with 14 kills and four blocks, Adrianna Mihalek (Woodbury) 11 kills, three service aces, 24 digs and handled 25 of 26 reception attempts.  Freshman Hannah Koehler (Bedford, NH) added seven kills and three blocks for Eastern and libero Allie Luppi (Tewksbury, MA) 18 digs and Allie Henry (Middletown) 12 digs and 25 assists. Freshman Sarah Leonard (Southborough, MA) contributed 22 assists.

Eastern opens Little East Conference play Saturday, hosting the University of Southern Maine at noon and also playing a non-conference match against Lasell College at 4 p.m.