Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Senior outside hitter Carly Balskus (Hebron) had 18 kills and attacked at .417 as the Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball team defeated Little East Conference opponent Plymouth State University on the Panthers' home court after four straight losses dating back to 2008 Saturday afternoon at Foley Gymnasium. Scorers were 19-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-14.
Eastern (8-4, 1-1 LEC), now 4-0 on its opponent's home court this year, followed with a non-conference sweep of the University of Maine-Presque Isle (4-8) late in the afternoon at Foley Gymnasium. Scores were 25-13, 25-16, 25-14.
The first-set loss to Plymouth (9-5, 1-1 LEC) was the 13th straight set loss for Eastern over five matches, but the Warriors rallied to win six straight. The win over Plymouth snapped Eastern's four-match losing streak and the Panthers' four-match winning streak.
Balskus led all players in kills and attack percentage in the first match, with senior Michelle Valliere (Lebanon) and freshman Abby Stern (Manchester) combing for 39 digs and freshman Alaetra Long (Lincoln, NE) adding 11. Junior Leah Sopneski (Deep River) totaled 27 assists, sophomore Mckenzie Maneggia (Andover) 15.
Plymouth attacked at .314 in the six-point first-set victory, but dropped under .100 in each of its ensuing losses.
Eastern was ranked second in the LEC pre-season poll, Plymouth two points back in a tie for third. Both received one first-place vote.
Led by Balskus again, the Warriors attacked at .330 – their second-best mark of the season – in sweeping Presque Isle in the first meeting ever between the programs. Balskus had 13 kills with a .550 attack percentage to give her afternoon totals of 31 kills and a .464 attack percentage. Long followed with nine kills and a .571 attack percentage and sophomore Natalia Rickey (Plainfield) adding six kills and a .500 attack percentage. Maneggia totaled 15 assists and Balskus collected four blocks. Valliere (8), Long (7) and Balskus (6) combined for 21 of the team's 38 digs.
Eastern hosts Connecticut College Tuesday at 7 p.m. in a non-conference match at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
