Box Score

BOSTON, Mass. -- Junior Paige Curran (Chelmsford, Mass.) had eight kills, two aces, and three blocks to help pace the University of New England women's volleyball team to its first Commonwealth Coast Conference win of the season -- a 3-0 defeat of Wentworth Institute of Technology on Wednesday at Tansey Gymnasium. Set scores were 25-19, 25-19, and 27-25.

UNE led 12-9 in the opening set before the Leopards took advantage of a series of miscues gain seven of the next eight points to grab a 16-13 cushion. However, the visitors responded with a 9-1 run of their own to take a 22-17 lead and eventually took the first set, 25-19.

The second set got off to a 6-6 start, before Big Blue registered the next five points to assume control of the frame en route to another 25-19 decision.

Wentworth was up one (6-5) in the early going of the third set, only to see a 9-1 run by the Nor'easters make it 14-7. The Leopards countered with a 9-3 stretch, followed soon after by a 7-2 spurt, to gain a 24-21 edge.

Serving for the match, the Leopards committed an attack error, and, back to back kills from senior Abby Davis (Somersworth, N.H.) knotted the score at 24-all. A kill from senior Julie Bruton (Montgomery, Texas) gave the hosts a 25-24 lead, but Curran responded with two kills and an attack error by the Leopards ended the set, 27-25, and the match.

Sophomore Angie Brunette (North Andover, Mass.) also added eight kills for UNE, while Davis had six kills and 14 digs. Sophomore Maria Kuehl (Middletown, N.H.) had 16 assists and 17 digs.

Wentworth was led by junior Julie Rahilly (Nashua, N.H.) and sophomore Michelle Hobbs (Northwood, N.H.), who each had eight kills and eight digs. Bruton added five kills, two aces, and five blocks, while sophomore Mary Horgan (Mahwah, N.J.) had 23 assists.

The Nor'easters (4-9, 1-2 CCC) pay a visit to Salve Regina University on Saturday (1 p.m.), while the Leopards (8-9, 1-1 CCC) make the short trip to Eastern Nazarene College the same day.


(Portions of story courtesy of Wentworth Sports Information)