Statistics

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- After coasting through the opening set, Western New England University battled with the University of New England the rest of the way en route to a 3-1 result (25-12, 25-23, 24-26, 25-23) in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's volleyball action Saturday afternoon (Sep. 22) at the Harold Alfond Forum.

The Golden Bears (4-9, 2-0 CCC) won for the third straight outing, while the Nor'easters (4-8, 1-1 CCC) fell for the first time in four matches.

Ashley Matthews led the visiting squad with 19 points on 14 kills and five service aces. Jenna Ferguson racked up a contest-high 17 kills and Cassandra Holmes chipped in with 12 more, and Jenna McCormack paced the attack with 45 assists. Hailey McDonnell tossed in six aces and pulled up 17 digs.

For UNE, Rene Roggenbuck totaled 14 kills and factored in six (2 solo) of the team's nine blocks. Katie Flynn added 13 winners, and Sydney Christiansen framed 38 assists. Katie Marsh registered 15 digs and Christiansen tallied another 11.

Western New England closed the initial frame on a 10-1 run that featured five kills (4 from Ferguson) and five aces. At no point during the remainder of the match was the difference more than five.

The Golden Bears turned around an early deficit in the 2nd with six unanswered, but things were tied for a seventh time at 21-21. A kill by Matthews -- her eighth in the session -- and two aces put WNEU on the brink of taking the set, but UNE's Micaela McNamara and Flynn countered with kills to make it 24-23. However, Ferguson finished it off with a winner.

The Nor'easters had an 18-13 advantage in the 3rd, only to see six in-a-row go for the Golden Bears. The hosts regained the edge, 20-19, and never trailed again, although play knotted up for the tenth time at 24-all. The day extended when Christiansen tipped in a kill and Paige Simoneau dropped down an ace to avoid the sweep.

UNE constructed an 8-2 spurt in the middle of the 4th to go up by four (20-16), but errors down the stretch gave Holmes the opportunity (24-23) for the final touch on the decision.

The Nor'easters will take on Wentworth Institute of Techonology on Tuesday (7 p.m.) in Biddeford.