Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- After breezing through the opening frame (25-11), Western New England University needed a 25-23 result in the 4th and a 15-11 decision in the 5th to edge the University of New England, 3-2, in a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's volleyball match played Saturday afternoon (Sep. 26) at the Alumni Healthful Living Center. UNE captured the 2nd and 3rd sets by scores of 25-23 and 25-17.

With their second straight CCC victory that went the distance, the Golden Bears move to 7-4 overall and 2-0 in league play. The Nor'easters slip to 3-4 (1-1 CCC).

Kelsey Armstrong led a balanced Western New England attack with 11 kills, while Olivia Lathrop added nine winners. Carly Skibinski also recorded nine kills and took part in five blocks. Jessica Sincero (6 kills) and Jenna Leuck combined for 37 assists (20 and 17), 21 digs (10 and 11), and six aces. Emily Woodford tallied a team-high 16 digs and another three of the squad's 13 aces.

For UNE, Grayson Szczepaniak registered 11 kills and had a hand in four blocks. Courtney Lambrese and Erika Sawicki contributed eight kills each, and Lambrese dropped in three aces. Kristen Falcinelli paced the offense with 24 assists and notched 11 defensive digs. Brittany Morrison had a match-best 17 digs and Caitlynn Marcotte picked up 10 more.

Following an attack error to open the match, the Golden Bears reeled off nine unanswered points to take control of the initial set.

The Nor'easters trailed only at 5-4 in the second, and endured six ties before leveling the contest at a set apiece. It was 16-13 in the third before a winner by Sawicki and three errors by the hosts extended the UNE cushion to seven, leading to a 2-1 margin in sets.

Big Blue had a 9-1 advantage in the fourth, but a 5-0 spurt from WNE cut the gap to three (11-8). UNE still led, 19-14, until the Golden Bears chalked up seven of eight points to surge in front (21-20). Deadlocks at 21-all, 22-all, and 23-all were all countered by points for Western New England, with Sincero putting down a kill and an ace to secure the two-point win and force the deciding set.

In the last stanza, the lead swung from UNE 4-2 to WNE 11-7 before the home team finsihed off the comeback.

The Nor'easters return to Biddeford to face Gordon College on Tuesday (7 p.m.).