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Box Score 2 SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Juniors Amanda Tyler (Longmeadow, MA), Adrianna Mihalek (Woodbury) and Kay Mullen (Fairhaven, MA) combined for 36 kills and Allie Luppi (Tewksbury, MA) dug up 29 balls as the Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball team salvaged a win at the Springfield College Tom Hay Invitational Saturday, emerging with a five-set triumph over Westfield State University at Dana Gymnasium.
Eastern (10-10) was thumped in three sets by host Springfield College (21-2) – the eventual tournament champion – Friday night and by Keene State College (15-6) Saturday morning before winding up the tournament Saturday afternoon with the five-set decision over Westfield State (7-12). Eastern twice erased set deficits in defeating the Owls, 19-25, 26-24, 22-25, 25-17, 15-8. Set scores were 25-15, 25-16, 25-22 against Keene. The match was a non-conference one between rivals Eastern and Keene, with the LEC regular-season match scheduled for October 24 at Geissler Gymnasium.
In the deciding set against Westfield – beaten twice this year by Eastern – the Warriors never trailed after giving up the first point. Eastern scored five straight points to break an early 2-2 tie. Luppi served the final four points of that run, Eastern capitalizing on three Westfield errors, a kill by Mullen and Luppi's team-leading 36th service ace of the year to move out to a 7-2 lead. The Warriors closed out the victory by scoring five of the final six points. Freshman Jackie Orlowski (Woodstock) had two kills, senior Melissa Godere (Norwich) two service aces and Tyler a match-ending kill – her 12th of the set.
Luppi, who has 1,553 career digs – eighth all-time – represented Eastern on the all-tournament team. In 11 sets in the tournament, she averaged 4.0 digs and successfully converted 93 of 98 receptions (94.9 percent), and led Eastern with five service aces. Mullen led the Warriors in the tournament with 28 kills, Mihalek adding 23, Tyler 16 and sophomore Megan Macomber (South Windsor) 11. Macomber and Mihalek shared the team lead with five blocks. Junior Fabiana Della-Monica (Newark, DE) topped all Eastern players with 55 assists, freshman Leah Sopneski (Deep River) adding 55.
Eastern visits Western Connecticut State University Tuesday at 7 p.m. in a Little East Conference match.
The Colonials defeated the Warriors in the final of last year's LEC playoffs.
