PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- Last week's Little East Conference Defensive Player-of-the-Year continued to prove herself as one of the team's most effective
offensive players, as well, as senior outside hitter
Alaetra Long (Lincoln, NE) led both teams with 12 kills on a .310 attack percentage as the Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball team swept Plymouth State University in LEC action Wednesday night at Foley Gymnasium. Game scores were 25-15, 25-16, 25-22.
The team leader this year in reception percentage and second in digs, Long's offensive consistency against Plymouth (2-2, 2-2 LEC) helped the Warriors (4-0, 4-0 LEC) defeat Plymouth on the Panthers' home court for only the second time in the last six meetings.
Long had four kills in each set, attacking at .429 on seven attempts in the important second set that allowed Eastern to move within one clinching victory. Defensively, Long chipped in eight digs and was perfect on eight reception attempts to improve her latter season percentage to .981 (one error on 53 receptions). In the match, she moved to within 33 of 1,000 digs in her career and also exceeded 700 career kills.
Including its final two set wins in its season-opening five-set home victory over Keene State College March 28, Eastern has captured its last 11 sets, sweeping Rhode Island College April 1 on the road and UMass Dartmouth April 18 at home prior to Wednesday night.
With sophomore
Nayeli Cruz Martinez (Toa Baja, P.R.) attacking at .800 (8-for-10, 0 errors), senior
Abby Stern (Manchester) at .278 (6-for-18, 1 error) and junior
Anna Barry (Andover) .263 (9-for-19, 4 errors), Eastern equaled its best season attack percentage with a mark of .272. In her first season as fulltime setter, junior
Meg Verizzi (Lebanon) had 36 assists.
In addition to her kills, Stern led both teams with 14 digs and also successfully handled 19 of 20 reception attempts, while sophomore
Paula Perez (Caguas, P.R.) and freshman
Paula Victoria Hernández Aulet (Manti, P.R.) each added seven digs. Perez (4) and Hernandez (3) combined for seven of the team's ten aces. Perez leads the team with 13 aces, Hernández Aulet right behind with 12. Defensively, Barry led the way with four blocks.
Eastern closes out the season April 30, hosting Castleton University at 6:30 p.m. in a conference match.
