Statistics

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Olivia McPherson put up 18 kills and 20 digs to power Benedictine University (Ill.) to a 3-1 women's volleyball result (25-19, 25-20, 14-25, 25-19) against the University of New England on Friday evening (Sep. 20) at Coach Beaudry's Court inside the Harold Alfond Forum.

The outcome goes down as the first setback of the season for the Nor'easters (9-1), who, entering the night, were one of 15 teams remaining in Division III without a loss. The nine consecutive wins marked the program's second-longest streak in known records.

The Eagles (4-7) received eight kills from Gabbu Walsh and 31 assists out of Kiara McPherson to support the victory. Courtney Levy matched O.McPherson with 20 digs on the back side.

UNE's offense was led by Ellijah Hanley with 14 kills, and Viktoria Pavlyuk contributed seven. Many of the 35 assists from Kassidy Bradshaw also went to Kailyn Reilly, Hannah Nowell, Arden Caley, and Kendall Gallaugher, who combined almost evenly for another 18 kills. Gallaugher had a hand in five of the squad's seven blocks to top all players in the contest.

Defensively, the Nor'easters compiled 91 digs -- the most in over two calendar years. Kelsey Bradshaw accounted for 23 of those, in addition to registering another match-high of three aces. Addie Miller and Ka.Bradshaw supplied 17 and 16 digs, respectively, while Hanley collected 12 more.

Benedictine scored five points in a row early in the 1st frame to take a lead it would not relinquish (8-3), but the hosts were still close at 19-17. However, four of the seven kills for O.McPherson in the opening session helped finish off the set. The visitors hit at a .312 clip in the period.

Five ties and three lead-changes had things knotted at 11-all in the 2nd before the Eagles found five straight points. UNE got back within one on three occasions (16-15, 17-16, 18-17), and Hanley's fifth kill of the set made it 20-18, but miscues down the stretch gave Benedictine a two-set advantage. Long rallies in the stanza totaled 96 attacking swings -- Ke.Bradshaw picked up 12 digs. Nowell also tallied four of her five kills in the 2nd.

An initial ace from K.McPherson gave the Eagles their only edge of the 3rd, and the Nor'easters rattled off five unanswered to get out in front (5-1). From 10-8, a pair of winners off the hand of Pavlyuk helped a 6-0 spurt as UNE increased the cushion, but six of the ensuing eight went for Benedictine to stay within striking distance (18-14). That was it for the visitors, though, as the Nor'easters notched seven consecutive points to get on the overall scoreboard (2-1). The hosts connected at a .259 rate on attacks in the frame, while holding the Eagles in the negative (-.059).

Back-to-back rejections by the duo of Gallagher and Hanley made things level at 3-all in the 4th, however, the following service error provided the ultimate edge to Benedictine. The margin was only two at 16-14, but then an 8-3 span put the visitors on the brink; O.McPherson scored four straight for her side to help establish the breathing room, and wrapped the set with another seven-kill set. The final session featured a combined 100 attacks and 27 kills, while Miller topped the defensive players on both ends with nine digs. 

UNE gets right back to it on Saturday (5 p.m.) when Wellesley College stops by the Forum.