WEST HARTFORD, Conn. -- Junior Taylor Smith (Bowie, MD) and first-year player Sierra York (Ashford) combined on a block to allow the Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball team to avoid set point in the important third set and the Warriors went on to a four-set victory over the University of Saint Joseph in the season-opener for both teams Friday night at the O'Connell Athletic Center. Scores were 25-17, 20-25, 26-24, 25-19.

With the match tied at 1-all in the third set, Victoria Adler's kill moved the Blue Jays within a point of winning the set, but Smith and York followed by blocking Adler to tie the match at 24-all, and with sophomore Taylor Thompson (West Point, NY) serving, the Warriors closed out the set on Thompson's service ace and a kill by Smith to take a 2-1 lead.

The Warriors wrapped up their 20^th straight win over USJ dating back to 1976 with the six-point win in the fourth set. Sophomore Liz Squier (Trevor, WI) served the first three points and Eastern never trailed. Eastern moved out to a five-point lead, 16-11, by scoring three straight on a USJ serving error and consecutive service aces by Squier.

Thompson led both teams with 12 kills and a .367 attack percentage, with junior Elayna Comella (Warwick, RI) adding nine kills, junior Bella Johnson (Marlborough)  seven and Smith six with a .455 attack percentage.

Led by Squier, seven players contributed service aces. Squier also had16 assists and sophomore Samantha Blandford (Windham, NH) 19. Thompson (9), senior Stacie Kinlen (Thornwood, NY) and junior Cassie Parmelee (East Berlin) topped the team in digs, with Kinlen and Parmelee adding five each.

Eastern hosts Saint Joseph Saturday at noon and Mount Holyoke College at 4 p.m. in its home-openers.