WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – Five players had double-digit kills as the Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball team remained unbeaten in six home matches this year with a four-set Little East Conference decision over Keene State College Saturday afternoon at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium. Scores were 25-17, 21-25, 25-21, 25-18.
 
Coming of a conference loss at Western Connecticut that ended a seven-match winning streak, Eastern (10-3, 3-1 LEC), Eastern attacked at .375 in the final set to down Keene State (3-11, 1-2 LEC) for the fourth time in the last five meeting, the loss in that stretch coming in five sets a year ago at Keene, NH. Keene dropped to 0-5 on its opponent's court this year.
 
Coming off an LEC home sweep of Plymouth State University Wednesday, Keene tied the match Saturday with a second-set victory before Eastern captured the all-important third set when it attacked at .385. In that set, Eastern reeled off five straight points to move out to a 20-18 lead on a pair of kills from junior Paige Savitsky (Centereach, NY), one kill each from senior All-America and LEC Player-of-the-Year Anna Barry (Andover) and senior Nayeli Cruz Martinez (Toa Baja, P.R.) and a Keene ball-handling error. Cruz Martinez' only service ace of the match closed it out.
 
In the fourth set, Eastern snapped an early tie with five straight points to go in front for good, 9-4, and Keene never got closer than three the rest of the way. Sophomore Bella Johnson (Marlborough) and Savitsky both had kills in that five-point run, with first-year player Jenna Loring (Richmond, RI) serving an ace off the bench and Keene committing two attack errors.
 
Barry led a balanced Eastern offensive game with 17 kills and a .419 attack percentage, with Johnson adding 15 kills and a .400 attack percentage and Cruz Martinez, Savitsky and first-year player Sadie Blackwell (Southbury) chipping in ten kills each. Cruz Martinez attacked at .350. Barry also picked up four blocks.
 
Senior setter Meg Verizzi (Lebanon) had 44 assists, senior libero Paula Perez (Caguas, P.R.) 18 digs, Savitsky 14 digs and Blackwell 11.
 
Cassidy Samuelson (Shirley, NY) led the  Owls by collecting nearly half of their kills. She totalled 21 kills with a .500 attack percentage, with  Sydney Johnson (Brentwood, NH) adding ten kills. The pair are the team's only seniors.  Junior Kacie Blanchet (Salem, NH) put up 39 assists and Johnson had a .955 reception percentage on 22 chances. Junior libero Reagan Fleming (Pearl River, NY) had 16 digs to led Keene.
 
Eastern visits Eastern Nazarene College Tuesday at 6 p.m. in a non-conference match.