Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 NEWPORT, R.I. – The surging Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball team came from a set down twice – scoring the final four points in the decisive fifth set -- to snap Salve Regina University's seven-match winning streak Saturday morning in a two hour and five minute non-conference marathon at the Rodgers Recreation Center. Set scores were 24-26, 25-17, 15-25, 25-23, 16-14.
Senior Carly Balskus (Hebron) and sophomore Lauren Notholt (Milford) each had two kills to carry Eastern (18-6) back from match point in the fifth set against Salve (17-8), which had dropped only two sets during its seven-match winning streak. The Seahawks had defeated Eastern five of the last seven times the programs had met.
The Warriors won for the 12th time in their last 14 matches later in the day in a four-game non-conference victory over Little East Conference opponent UMass Dartmouth (9-14). Set scores were 25-18, 14-25, 25-18, 25-23. It was Eastern's second four-set victory over the Corsairs this season.
While Eastern was sweeping the non-conference pair, UMass Boston downed Keene State College in four sets in a key Little East Conference match at Keene, NH --a result which leaves the Warriors in position to gain the No. 1 seed in the upcoming LEC tournament. With one LEC regular-season match remaining, Eastern and UMass Boston are tied for first at 6-1, but the Warriors hold the tie-breaker based upon their sweep of the Beacons Sept. 21 in Boston (Keene had held the tie-breaker over Eastern if the squads had shared the regular-season title).
By defeating the University of Southern Maine (3-4 LEC) Saturday at Willimantic, Eastern would unofficially be the top seed and host the LEC tournament semifinals and final Nov. 2-3. Regardless of UMass Boston's outcome Saturday at UMass Dartmouth (1-5 LEC), an Eastern win over Southern Maine gives it no worse than a share of its first LEC regular-season title since 2006.
After losing two of the first three sets against Salve Saturday, Eastern survived to force a decisive fifth set with its two-point victory in the fourth set. The Warriors took the lead for good, 22-19, with three consecutive points in the fourth set behind kills from freshmen Anna Barry (Andover) and sophomore Alaetra Long (Lincoln, NE) and a Salve attack error. With Salve serving and trailing by a point, Balskus ended the fourth set with a kill.
Eastern trailed throughout the fifth set by as many as four points, but finally overtook the hosts, 15-14 on Balskus' 21st and final kill of the match. With freshman Madison Bell (Salem) serving match point, Notholt put away a set from junior Mckenzie Maneggia (Andover) to end the match.
Balskus (30) and Barry (27) led Eastern offensively in nine sets on the day, with Barry attacking at a team-high .266. Freshman Meg Verizzi (Lebanon) and Maneggia combined on 95 assists, with Bell digging up 54 balls, Maneggia 21 and Balskus 20. Senior Jackie Orlowski (Woodstock) collected eight blocks, junior transfer Sierra Orr (Woodland, WA) four service aces and Orlowski three.
With three regular-season matches remaining – all at home -- Eastern needs two triumphs to post its first 20-win regular season since 2006. The Warriors host Albertus Magnus College Tuesday in a non-conference match and entertain the University of Southern Maine and College of Mount Saint Vincent Saturday.
