Tournament Central

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The lowest-ranked team in the Little East Conference in digs per set, fourth-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University averaged ten more than its season average in sweeping fifth-seeded Keene State College in the first round of the 2016 conference tournament Tuesday night at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium. Set scores were 25-22, 25-17, 28-26.

Led by junior libero Michelle Valliere's (Lebanon) 17 digs and .957 reception percentage, Eastern (19-11) defeated Keene (17-14) for the second time in four days and will face top-seeded Massachusetts Boston (26-4) in one of two semifinal-round matches Thursday at 7 p.m.  Third-seeded Western Connecticut visits second-seeded Plymouth State University (19-10) in Thursday's other semifinal after eliminating sixth-seeded University of Southern Maine in four sets Tuesday. The tournament final is scheduled for Saturday at the site of the highest remaining seed. UMass Boston has won five of the last six titles.

Eastern had gained home court advantage against Keene by winning three straight at Keene Saturday after losing the first two, with Tuesday's sweep giving the Warriors six consecutive set wins over the Owls. The sweep of Keene is Eastern's second in two years in LEC tournament competition.

Eastern tied the first set for the first time at nine-all on a Keene ball-handling error and moved into its first lead at 15-14 on a kill from senior Adrianna Mihalek (Woodbury). The Warriors put the set away by breaking a 20-all tie with three straight points, one on a kill from Mihalek. Sophomore Jackie Orlowski (Woodstock) then sandwiched service aces around a Keene timeout.

The Warriors never trailed in the second set after Megan Macomber's (South Windsor) kill on a mistimed attack made it 5-4. A critical 11-3 run snapped a 14-all tie that pushed Eastern into its eight-point win in the set. A kill and service ace by Mihalek and Macomber's kill provided the hosts with the first three points of that run and a Keene ball-handling error closed out the Eastern win.

Eastern played catchup to seal the match win, coming from six-points down (18-12). The key stretch came when the Warriors rattled off five straight points to cut that six-point deficit to one, 18-17. After junior Carly Balskus (Hebron) nailed a pair of kills for the first two points, Keene commited an attack error following a brilliant defensive play by Valliere to keep the ball alive. With Valliere serving, Orlowski and senior Kay Mullen (Fairhaven, MA) teammed for a block to make it 18-16. Following a Keene timeout, Eastern pulled to within a point when senior setter Fabiana Della-Monica (Newark, DE) put a re-directed ball on the floor after a long back-and-forth volley.

With the score tied late, Eastern had several opportunities but could record match point until Balskus found the seam with an attacked ball and Mullen a seam on a serve to give the Warriors the two-point win.

Averaging 13.2 digs per set – last in the eight-team conference – the Warriors totaled 76 on the night for an average of 23.7. Mihalek had 19 digs, Valliere 17, senior Nina Zimmitti (East Hampton) nine and Della-Monica six. Valliere showed a .957 reception percentage on 23 attempts, Mihalek handling 24 of 25 (.960) and Zimmitti 11 of 12 (.917).

Mihalek, the program's all-time leader in kills, led all players with 20 and attacked well above her .273 season percentage with a mark of .381, sparking the team to the first-set victory with ten kills and a .450 attack percentage. Balskus added nine of Eastern's 46 kills in the match. Mihalek and Orlowski each contributed three service aces and Orlowski totalled  three blocks. Sophomore Leah Sopneski (Deep River) and Della-Monica combined for 37 assists, Sopneski gaining credit for 21.

Keene, which attacked at only .102, was led by junior Rachel Lamica's 11 kills, junior Courtney Collins chipping in six. Sophomore Riley Bunker, a 5-foot libero, topped all players win the match with 21 digs and commited only two errors on 29 receptions. Junior setter Katie Cunningham set for 26 assists but was guilty of five ball-handling errors.