SPRINGFIELD, Mass --  The Eastern Connecticut State University women's volleyball was unable to deliver a second-set knockout blow that would have turned a best-of-five match into a best-of-three, giving away an early seven-point lead and was eventually swept by Western New England University in a non-conference match Tuesday night at the Alumni Healthful Living Center. Scores were 20-25, 23-25, 14-25.
 
A winner of five of its last six, Western New England (5-4) led from start-to-finish in taking the first set, and the Warriors led from start to near-finish in the second set, leading 12-5 and 22-18, but the hosts later used a 12-6 run to turn a four-point deficit into the final two-point victory. Eastern led throughout until the Golden Bears pulled even at 22-22 on a service ace and again at 23-23 on an Eastern service error, finally annexing the second-set victory on a pair of kills by Alissa Hawes (match-high 13 kills).
 
As it did in the first set, Western New England never trailed in the third set, moving out to a ten-point 20-10 lead on a kill by Isabelle Petty (10 kills, .333 attack percentage) and coasting the rest of the way to snap a four-match losing streak at the hands of Eastern (5-4).
 
As a team, Eastern attacked at a season-low .009 (18 kills, 17 errors). Junior Cassie Parmelee (East Berlin) had 15 digs – one shy of the most in the match – with sophomore Sadie Blackwell (Southbury) adding eight and first-year outside hitter Brooke Praskievicz (Moodus)  seven. Junior Taylor Smith (Bowie, MD) had three blocks and sophomore setter Samantha Blandford (Windham, NH) eight assists and two service aces. Both of Blandford's aces in the match and two of first-year middle Haley Jo Bridges's (Montebello, NY) three kills came when the Warriors built their early 12-5 lead in the second set.
 
Now 2-3 on the road, Eastern plays its fifth and sixth straight matches away from Geissler Gymnasium Saturday when it visits the University of Southern Maine in its Little East Conference opener at noon to face the host Huskies. The Warriors follow at 2 p.m. with a non-conference match against Fitchburg State University at USM's  Warren Hill Gymnasium. Eastern returns home next Wednesday to host Rhode Island College in a conference match at 7 p.m.