Statistics

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- After dropping the opening set by four points, the University of New England out-scored Nichols College by 32 the rest of the way en route to a 3-1 Conference of New England women's volleyball win (21-25, 25-17, 25-13, 25-13) at Coach Beaudry's Court inside the Harold Alfond Forum on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 26).

The Nor'easters (16-5) get back to .500 in league matches at 3-3, while the Bison (4-18) fall to 0-6.

The hosts received a double-double out of Ellijah Hanley, who notched 12 kills with a .400 hitting percentage, 12 digs, and six service aces. In just three sets of work, Chloe Miracle also registered 12 kills, as part of a .320 attacking rate. Hannah Nowell added 10 kills, many of which were among the 40 assists by Hayley Shult.

On top of three aces, Kelsey Bradshaw collected a match-high 13 digs as the Nor'easters limited Nichols to .020 offensive efficiency overall.

The Bison were finding the gaps early, though, and led the entire way while hitting .280 during the initial session. Five straight miscues made the spread 20-13 and UNE could only get back as close as three (20-17, 21-18, 24-21).

Miracle entered in the 2nd and racked up four kills during a 9-0 run that had the home team up, 12-3. Nichols trimmed the margin to 17-14, but another seven unanswered had the Nor'easters on the verge of leveling the contest.

UNE was up 12-11 in the 3rd before embarking on a 13-2 stretch to seize control of the match. Miracle tallied four of her six kills in the frame during the closing sequence, while Kendall Gallaugher supplied a pair of kills and a block alongside Nowell.

The Nor'easters raced out to an 11-3 cushion in the 4th and never looked back. Hanley went for five kills (and 0 errors) over nine swings in the period.

For Nichols on the day, Kya Burdier recorded seven kills, nine assists, and seven digs. Rubby St. Onge had 11 assists, seven digs, and three aces. Liz Diorio accounted for a team-best eight digs.

UNE entertains its final non-conference opponent in Plymouth State University on Wednesday (7 p.m.), before the final stretch of three CNE dates.