Alex Toregas (above) had seven kills in the decisive fifth game to secure the win
BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Alex Toregas '08 (Chevy Chase, Md.) put down a career-best 27 kills, including seven in the fifth and deciding game, to help give the University of New England a 3-2 victory over three-time The Commonwealth Coast Conference champion Colby-Sawyer College Tuesday evening at the Campus Center.
The Nor'easters (10-10, 7-1 TCCC) claimed their first-ever win over Colby-Sawyer since joining the TCCC in 1999, and in the process, got to the .500 mark for the first time this season. The Chargers (19-4, 6-1), came into the match tied with Endicott College atop the league standings. Endicott also dropped its first conference match Tuesday night versus Gordon College.
UNE took the match with game scores of 28-30, 30-16, 30-25, 16-30, 15-10.
Down 2-1, Colby-Sawyer dominated the Nor'easters in the fourth game to force a fifth. The Chargers led from the outset in the fourth and put the game away by reeling off 11 consecutive points after leading 10-6.
Trailing 5-2 in the finale, the hosts rallied and took the lead 8-7 on a kill by Claire Varner '10 (Breckenridge, Mich.).
After a Nor'easter error knotted the game at 8-apiece, UNE would take the next three points to seize the lead for good. The Chargers committed a pair of attack errors during the run, and Toregas capped the spurt with a kill. She would put down three more balls the rest of the way to ice the match.
Varner had 17 kills and 19 digs to help lead UNE. Setter Alissa Ehmke '08 (Baileys Harbor, Wisc.) handed out a career-best 50 assists, while Ellen Choinski 1'0 (Saunderstown, R.I.) and Chelsea Boyle '11 (Cumberland, R.I.) dug out a career-high 19 balls apiece.
Michelle Doody '11 (Franklin, Mass.) led the way for the Chargers with 19 kills, while Shaylyn Hewitt '11 (Wilbraham, Mass.) supported with nine. Setter Genny Moore '10 (Centerville, Mass.) was credited with 45 assists and five service aces. Defensively, Taylor Forsberg '09 (Moultonborough, N.H.) had a match-high 25 digs.
UNE is idle until Oct. 25 when it hosts Saint Joseph's College. The Nor'easters will play for first place and the top seed in the TCCC Tournament when they tussle with Endicott College and Roger Williams University in a tri-match Oct. 27.
Colby-Sawyer will be in search of its fifth consecutive 20-win season Friday at the Skidmore College Invitational.
UNE Match Statistics
(posted Oct. 16, 2007 | 22:06 ET)
