Box Score

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Sophomores Amanda Linzmeyer and Jules Augustine combined for 28 kills to help Emerson College defeat the University of New England, 3-1, in non-conference women's volleyball action Saturday morning (Aug. 30) at the Harold Alfond Forum. Set scores were 25-16, 22-25, 25-17, and 25-23.

First-year Brittany Schoelkopf added 10 winners for the Lions (1-0), while classmate Elaine Nichols racked up 42 assists. Defensive specialists first-year Sam Harton and sophomore Jessica Hamilton went for 14 and 11 digs, respectively.

For UNE (0-1), senior Leah Janelle dialed up 11 kills and sophomore Grayson Szczepaniak added eight to go with three blocks. First-year setters Brooke Gibbons and Kristen Falcinelli helped the attack with 28 assists. Gibbons, senior Rachel McGahie, and sophomore Nikki Mathewson teamed up to register 32 of Big Blue's 56 digs.

A 12-3 run midway through the 1st set allowed Emerson to turn an early deficit into a 15-9 cushion on the way to the opening frame. The Nor'easters gained momentum late in the 2nd stanza and secured the last three points -- including two Szczepaniak kills to finish -- to level the contest at one set apiece.

The Lions had leads near the start of both the 3rd and 4th, but found that the hosts would not go down easily in the waning moments of the what would be the final set. Four straight points by UNE tied things at 20-20, only to see Augustine restore the advantage for Emerson. A pair to attack errors by the Nor'easters made the deficit 23-20 before kills by Janelle and Falcinelli closed the gap to one. Augustine finished strong, though, sandwiching two more winners around one from Janelle to settle on the two-point final margin.

Both sides topped Newbury College in action later during the day.