Statistics

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Suffolk University came back from two sets down and hit a match-best .333 with 13 kills in the 5th to defeat the University of New England, 3-2 (22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 15-12), in a Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) women's volleyball battle Tuesday night (Oct. 19) on Coach Beaudry's Court inside the Harold Alfond Forum.

The Rams (8-13) jump ahead of the Nor'easters (8-13) in the league standings with the result, now at 2-4 and 1-5, respectively.

UNE had a 7-4 edge in the deciding frame before a pair of Harmony Johnson kills around a kill by Jasmine James tied the score. Errors each way made it 8-8, and Alina Nowakowski gave the visitors the lead for good on the next point. The sides traded blows for a few, but another couple winners by James helped establish a 13-10 Suffolk cushion. Two Rams errors gave the Nor'easters life (13-12), but McKenna Keowen and Nowakowski finished off the match.

Keowen led all players with 24 kills for Suffolk, and added 18 digs. James ended with 14 kills and Nowakowski 11, which included six in the 4th set alone. The attack received 26 assists of support from Johnson, and 25 more out of Jayla Martinez. Kenzley Bell saved 32 digs along the back line, and Johnson contributed another 15. Bell and Martinez both dropped in three service aces.

The Nor'easters got a 15 kill, 15 dig, three ace performance from Lauren Davenport. Viktoria Pavlyuk also registered 15 kills, and Stephanie Erickson tallied 11. Addie Miller joined Davenport with a double-double, going for 41 assists and 10 digs. Paige Weatherbee led the defensive effort with 27 digs, and Mia Martel had a hand in four blocks. Shiloh Osmer matched Davenport with three aces.

The opening stanza never saw separation more than three points either way. UNE posted the last four to snag the win -- the Nor'easters earned three of those, with a kill from Pavlyuk and two blocks by Adryona Miller (sharing one with Martel).

A five-point margin (17-12) disappeared in the 2nd as the Rams netted four in-a-row to draw even with UNE at 20-all. But a couple Suffolk errors around a block the pair of Erickson and Add. Miller put the Nor'easters back ahead (23-20). It was 24-23 when Pavlyuk provided a kill for the two-set advantage.

In the 3rd session, the Rams took the lead for good at 5-4 and built the spread up to 14-8. A string of mostly Suffolk errors reduced the edge to just one (16-15), however Keowen delivered back-to-back kills to start the visitors towards some breathing room (20-15). Pavlyuk slammed down a couple to make it 23-21, but a service error put a halt to any thoughts of a late UNE push for the sweep.

Suffolk never trailed in the 4th, using a 7-1 run to get out to an 11-4 lead. It was still comfortable (20-14) until a four-point surge by Erickson (kill, block) and the Nor'easters knotted the score at 23-23 -- the only tie of the period. A UNE error and a kill from Keowen kept the Rams alive to send things to a 5th set.

UNE will now prepare for a visit from Salve Regina University (4-2 CCC) on Saturday evening (5 p.m.).