Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- After escaping a second set that featured 21 ties and 10 lead-changes in 35-33 result, the University of New England women's volleyball team defeated Maine Maritime Academy by a 3-0 margin on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 10) at the Harold Alfond Forum. The score of the first was 25-22, and the third ended at 25-17.

The Nor'easters (5-10) received 14 kills and seven digs out of Courtney Lambrese, with 11 winners each from Grayson Szczepaniak and Emily Rumery in support. Brooke Gibbons tallied 29 assists to help the offense, while Brittany Morrison picked up a match-best 17 digs on the defensive end.

Gillian O'Neal registered 16 kills to lead the Mariners (10-9), including eight in the second session. Tess Clark entered in the middle frame and put down six of her nine winners, and added a team-high 13 digs. Jessica Menges also reached double figures in digs with 11. Melissa Spaulding dialed up 38 assists.

Neither side could gain separation early on, as a deadlock at 9-9 was already the eighth tie of the match. Things were still even at 17-all when a pair of kills by Szczepaniak helped establish a 21-17 edge for the hosts. Spaulding and O'Neal split four points around a winner by Lambrese to bring MMA close (23-22 UNE), but Lambrese and Rumery were able to finish off the set with the next two plays.

The contest was tight again in the second, with no more than three points dividing the teams the entire way. Big Blue had set-point at 24-23, but gave it away with an error and O'Neal tacked on a kill to swing the lead to the Mariners. UNE proceeded to stave off five set-points against before regaining the edge, and Maine Maritime followed by avoiding three of its own. Two UNE attack errors made it 33-32 for the visitors, and MMA returned the favor with one before a UNE block and surprise attack by Gibbons ended the stanza.

Since the scoring system changed at the start of the 2008 season (first to 25 and win by 2), the 35 points by the Nor'easters in the set was a program-high. Twice UNE squads had reached 30 -- once for a win (30-28) and once for a loss (32-30).

In the third, a 5-0 run by UNE put the spread at 14-6, and it never got closer than six the rest of the way.

The Nor'easters get back to Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) play on Tuesday (6 p.m.) at Curry College.


Earlier in the day: Southern Maine 3, UNE 1