Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Less than three weeks after attacking at .000 in a three-set loss to Western New England University, the Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball team attacked at .264 in a four-set non-conference victory over the Golden Bears Tuesday night at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
At right: Warriors celebrate Tuesday's four-set victory over Western New England University.
Eastern (8-8) won the first two sets, 25-21, 25-17, and after Western New England (13-5) forced a fourth set with a 25-17 victory in the third, the Warriors got four kills off the bench from sophomore Hannah Bryant (Avon) and ripped off a run of eight straight points to squeeze out a 25-22 victory.
Six-foot-one inch middle hitter Kay Mullen (Fairhaven, MA) led Eastern for the second time against WNE, recording 14 kills and a .385 attack percentage, and sophomore outside hitter Adrianna Mihalek (Woodbury) had 12 kills and a .321 attack percentage to go along with three service aces and eight digs as the Warriors ended their own two-match losing streak and halted the Golden Bears' winning streak at five.
While Eastern reversed its attack percentage from the earlier loss, the Golden Bears reversed theirs as well, but in the opposite direction. The visitors attacked at .305 in the earlier win but fell to .027 Tuesday night, commiting 32 errors – the second-most by an Eastern opponent this year.
Eastern trailed throughout most of the fourth set – falling behind 11-4 – before finally pulling ahead, 20-19, on a WNE attack error. With senior setter Allie Henry (Middletown) serving seven straight points, the Warriors ran off eight straight to move out to a 23-19 lead on the fourth of four straight kills from Bryant.
In similar fashion to the fourth set, Eastern took the lead for good in the first set, 20-19, on an WNE attack error and closed out the win on kills from freshman middle Caryn Sibiskie (Rockfall) and Mullen. In the second set, the Warriors moved out to thte lead early, taking the lead for good, 5-4, on a WNE attack error and later putting together five straight points to make it 17-9 on a Mihalek service ace.
The Golden Bears fell behind early (5-1) in the third set but avoided the sweep, assuming the lead for good at 7-6. Leading by two, the visitors ran off seven in a row and surged to a 19-10 on a kill from senior Carolyn Hajdusek (Northfield, NH).
In the match, Henry put up 30 assists, junior libero Allie Luppi (Tewksbury, MA) handled 20 receptions with only two errors and shared match honors with ten digs. After managing only six blocks in the earlier loss to WNE, seven Eastern players combined for 18 blocks Tuesday. Sibiskie totaled two solos and six assists and Mullen three assists.
Seniors Kasey Cameron and Grace Kucharski combined for nine service aces for the Golden Bears, with sophomore Jessica Sincero amassing 18 assists and sophomore Jenna Leuck contributing 14. Kucharski led her team with ten digs.
Eastern hosts the 34th Annual Crabtree Classic Saturday, opening against Wheaton College (MA) at noon.
