WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- Carly Balskus (Hebron), Abby Stern (Manchester) and Alaetra Long (Lincoln, NE) combined for 50  of the team's 65 kills as the Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball team won the final two sets to record a five-set Little East Conference victory over Rhode Island College Tuesday evening at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium. Set scorers were 25-16, 17-25, 22-25, 25-23, 15-13.

Each team totaled 108 digs in a match punctuated by numerous long volleys, 22 ties and 14 lead changes. Eastern (10-6, 2-1 LEC) defeated Rhode Island (9-8, 0-3 LEC) for the sixth straight time, the third time in the past four years in five sets. The Warriors have won all three matches this season decided in five sets, twice winning the final two and once the final three.

There were eight ties in the final set. The Warriors scored three straight to snap a 7-7 tie on a pair of kills from Long and one by Lauren Notholt (Milford) before the Anchorwomen surged back to tie the match at 12- on an Eastern attack error. The Warriors trailed by one, 13-12, but answered with the final three points on a kill by Balskus, service ace by Erin Winsor (Hopkinton, MA) and match-ending kill by Lydia Niderno (Willington) following an extensive volley that RIC kept alive with a miracle dig that momentarily gave it hope.

Eastern had forced a deciding set with its two-point win in the fourth set. In that fourth set, Stern had four kills and a .364 attack percentage and Balskus five kills and a .278 attack percentage and Mckenzie Maneggia (Andover) led Eastern with eight digs. Trailing 10-8 in the fourth set, Eastern rallied back to score eight of the next nine points and move out to a 16-11 lead. Eastern later broke a 22-all tie on a pair of RIC attack errors and closed out the set when Maneggia set Balskus for set point.

At left: Lauren Notholt (18) and Lydia Niderno (2) defend against Rhode Island's Courtney Lambrese during Eastern's five-set Little East victory Tuesday night at Geissler Gymnasium. (Photo by Olivia Morrison)

Balskus and Stern each had 17 kills and Long 16, with Maneggia and Leah Sopneski (Deep River) combining for 49 assists. Michelle Valliere (Lebanon) and Long each had 24 digs, Maneggia totaling 21 and Stern 18. Balskus, who over the 400-kill plateau in her three-year collegiate career in the third set, totaled 16 of her 17 kills over the final three sets.

Courtney Lambrese and Jillian Ward, ranked among the LEC top five in kills, combined for 41 of Rhode Island's 59. Lambrese led all players with 24 and Ward finishing with 17. Ward also led both clubs with 28 digs, Abigayl White adding 25 digs and 40 assists, Samantha Borges 23 digs and Lambrese 17 digs.

Saturday, Eastern hosts Nichols College at noon and Penn State Abington at 4 p.m. in a pair of non-conference matches.