Women's Volleyball 9/20/2014 12:00:00 AM

Warriors Re-Gain Winning Ways on Home Court

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Click on "Video" links above for post-game interviews with Allie Luppi, Bry Kelly, Kay Mullen and Allie Henry.

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Behind 28 kills from Little East Conference Rookie-of-the-Year Adrianna Mihalek (Woodbury), the Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball team defeated the University of Southern Maine in four sets in its LEC opener, then swept Lasell College Saturday afternoon at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.

Eastern (7-6, 1-0 LEC) stopped a three-match home losing streak -- winning on its home floor for the first time since the season-opener August 30 – by downing Southern Maine (10-3, 0-1 LEC) for the ninth straight time, then winning three straight in the first meeting ever against Lasell (2-13). Southern Maine rebounded from the Eastern loss to sweep Lasell in Saturday's second match.

Eastern's depth overcame the effort of USM freshman outside hitter Jessica Williamson, who had 11 kills and 23 digs and served 14 balls without an error. Mihalek, sophomore Kay Mullen (Fairhaven, MA) and freshmen Caryn Sibiskie (Rockfall) and Hannah Koehler (Bedford, NH) combined for 41 kills, and junior libero Allie Luppi (Tewksbury, MA) dug up 26 balls.

After the teams traded 25-21 victories that gave Eastern a 2-1 set advantage, the Warriors never trailed after the opening point of the fourth set, outscoring the Huskies, 10-2 to move out to a 19-9 lead. Mihalek sparked the run with two kills. Mihalek and Sibiskie each had five kills in the final set, Mullen four.

Southern Maine improved to 2-0 all-time against Lasell by winning three sets by eight total points.

The Huskies led by four points late in the first set, but kills by senior Kathy Cameron and 6-foot-1 inch freshman Odina Ellis and a USM attack error made it a one-point match before the Huskies closed out the final point.

Lasell held a slim lead throughout most of the second set before a kill from Williamson and Lasell attack error helped the Huskies take the lead for good, 15-12. The third set went into overtime, where USM broke a 24-all tie when sophomore Ali Stewart contributed her only kill of the afternoon on an assist from sophomore setter Megan Nilson, and Williamson's eighth kill of the set closed out the match.

Mihalek, junior Bry Kelly (Dunbarton, NH) and Mullen paced Eastern to the sweep of Lasell in the final match. Mihalek had 11 kills, Kelly eight in 12 tries with only one error, and Mullen eight as the Warriors won three sets by a total of 29 points.

Holding a two-set lead, Eastern trailed early by four points to Lasell and assumed the advantage for good with a 16-6 spurt that vaulted it into an 18-12 advantage. Freshman Megan Macomber (South Windsor), sophomore Ashley Adams (Mystic) and Kelly all found the floor with attacks in the late stages of that run.

In seven sets on the afternoon, Eastern totaled 19 service aces, and averaged 19.0 digs and 2.29 blocks and attacked at .217 -- well above its season percentage. Sibiskie (.375), Kelly (.360) and Mullen (.275) all attacked at .275 or better, with Mihalek (28) amassing nearly 30 percent of the team's kills. Luppi averaged 6.29 digs per set, sophomore Amanda Tyler (Longmeadow, MA) 3.80 and Mihalek 3.00. Luppi was successful on .971 percent of 34 serve receptions, with Sibiskie totaling seven blocks, Koehler five. Henry (42) and freshman Sarah Leonard (Southborough, MA) (37) combined for 79 assists.

At Willimantic, Conn.

Eastern Conn. 3, U. of Southern Maine 1

Southern Maine (9-3, 0-1 Little East) 15 21 25 14

Eastern Conn. (6-6, 1-0 Little East) 25 25 21 25

Statistical leaders

Southern Maine

Jessica Williamson: 11 kills, 14 serves with 0 errors, 23 digs

Monica Raymond 11 kills

Renee Trottier 17 serves with 1 error, 4 service aces, 17 digs

Jessica Garrett 3 service aces

Megan Nilson 20 assists

Demi Ruder 17 digs