WILLIMANTIC, Conn. -- Senior All-America
Anna Barry (Andover) had four of her match-high total of 14 kills to help the Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball from four points down in the third set to a 25-19, 25-22, 25-21 non-conference sweep over Mitchell College Tuesday evening at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium.
The sweep is the eighth in the nine-match series for Eastern (7-2), which improved to 3-0 at home this year with its fourth straight win. Mitchell (6-3) had won its last three prior to Tuesday.
Junior
Paige Savitsky (Centereach, NY) and senior
Nayeli Cruz Martinez (Toa Baja, P.R.) each had two kills to spark a run of ten straight points as the Warriors broke from a 9-9 tie in the first set, and Eastern survived a nip-and-tuck second set to score seven of the final ten points for the three-point win in the second set. A kill by first-year player
Sadie Blackwell (Southbury) and two Mitchell attack errors helped Eastern take the lead for good late in the second set.
Barry and sophomore
Bella Johnson (Marlborough) combined for ten kills and a .600 attack percentage in the third set.
Eastern committed ten reception errors in the match but attacked at a season-high .356 and benefited as the Mariners attacked at .123.
Barry attacked at .591and Johnson attacked at .240 with 11 kills, while senior libero
Paula Perez (Caguas, P.R.) had a match-high 13 digs, Savitsky 12 and Blackwell ten.
Senior Olivia DeLoach led Mitchell with 11 kills and 13 digs and handled 27 receptions with only one error.
Eastern looks for its second Little East Conference win in two outings Saturday when it hosts the University of Southern Maine at noon before facing Connecticut College at 4 p.m.