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BIDDEFORD, Maine -- The University of New England women's volleyball team overcame a six-point deficit late in the 3rd set to wrap up a 3-0 Conference of New England victory (25-23, 25-16, 29-27) against Western New England University at Coach Beaudry's Court inside the Harold Alfond Forum on Saturday evening (Oct. 25).

As the prospect of a sweep started to look bleak, trailing 21-15, the Nor'easters (11-9, 4-3 CNE) rattled off eight of the next nine points flip the advantage in their favor at 23-22. Ellijah Hanley accounted for three of those points with kills, Hannah Nowell added a couple, and Kendall Gallaugher notched one to go with an ace, and an emphatic block shared with Hanley. Hanley erased the only set-point-against (24-25), and the hosts cashed on their fourth try to end it with an ace from Hayley Shult.

It was UNE's first win versus the Golden Bears (9-15, 2-5) since 2019.

Hanley pounded out 18 kills with a .432 attack rate, while Nowell contributed 11 winners and Chloe Miracle tacked on 10, to go with 19 digs. Gallaugher and Kailyn Reilly had 11 kills between them, with just one error and on 22 swings. Shult reached 40 assists for the fifth time in her young career, and joined Miracle's double-double status with another 14 digs. Kelsey Bradshaw supplied 12 digs, eight assists, and led all players with three aces.

For WNEU, Lea Barber had 17 kills and a .317 hitting percentage, along with 11 digs. Charlei Henkel went for eight kills and 10 digs, while Madison Stauss put up 23 assists.

In the 1st frame, UNE led 13-7 but fell into an 18-18 tie before Miracle ran off three kills to make it 21-19 and soon put a point on the board. The home squad jumped out to a 6-1 cushion in the 2nd and never led the visitors back closer than three before pulling away.

Despite the slower start to the 3rd, Hanley and Nowell posted 27 errorless attacks in the session and netted 14 kills. On the opposite side, Barber was doing everything she could to extended the contest (7-0-16).

The Nor'easters will play the next three matches on the road, beginning with the final non-conference date at Plymouth State University on Wednesday.