Box Score WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball team trailed only once – by a point – in a three-set Little East Conference sweep of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Tuesday evening at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium. Set scores were 25-17, 25-14, 25-19.
With its 41st win over UMass Dartmouth (9-11, 1-2 LEC) in this 44-match series and fourth win in its last five matches this year, Eastern (9-8, 2-1 LEC) retains a share of first place in the conference.
All eight conference teams entered playing sharing first place with 1-1 records, with Eastern, Keene State College, UMass Boston and Western Connecticut all winning to move into a four-way tie at the top.
Eastern scored five straight points to erase its only deficit of the evening in the first set, moving out to a 13-6 lead and never leading by less than five points the rest of the set.
Senior libero Allie Luppi (Tewksbury, MA) served Eastern to a quick 3-0 lead in the second set. Leading 19-12, the Warriors outscored the Corsairs 6-2 the rest of the way to assume a two-set lead.
Luppi again served four straight points in the early part of the third set – sparking the hosts to a quick 6-1 lead. The Corsairs bounced back to tie the match 8-8 before Eastern scored three in a row to take the lead for good behind the serving of junior Adrianna Mihalek (Woodbury). A UMass service error gave the Warriors the lead for good, Mihalek served an ace, and sophomore Megan Macomber (South Windsor) had a kill off a UMD overpass to make it 11-8.
Junior Kay Mullen (Fairhaven, MA) and Mihalek combined for 15 kills with Mullen attacking at .500. Luppi recorded 14 digs, handled 13 receptions without an error and served three aces. Freshman Leah Sopneski (Deep River) had 12 assists and junior Fabiana Della-Monica (Newark, DE) seven. The Warriors amassed ten service aces in three sets.
Senior Jasmine Burris (New Bedford, MA) and junior Megan Ronaghan (North Attleboro, MA) led UMass Dartmouth with five kills each, senior libero Brianna Perry (Acushnet, MA) had ten digs and handled 20 receptions with just two errors.
Eastern competes in the Springfield College Tom Hay Invitational this weekend, facing host Springfield College Friday at 7 p.m. in its opener.
