Statistics
GORHAM, Maine -- Dialing up a .338 offensive hitting percentage and defending to the tune of -.116, the University of New England women's volleyball dominated Dean College for a 3-0 victory (25-13, 25-12, 25-8) on Saturday afternoon (Sep. 5) at Hill Gymnasium on the campus of the University of Southern Maine.
For just the second time in the last 13 years, the Nor'easters have won their first three matches of the season. The Bulldogs drop to 0-4.
"Solid all around effort, and it was great to be able to get some of the bench into the match," reflected head coach Ian Blanchard. "They've all been working so hard in practice, so having the opportunity to reward that hard work with some playing time is really important to me. It was exciting to see the likes of Syd Fye, Delainey Dunkerley, Mia Kenny, and others play so well. Mia really got going in the 3rd set, and her connection with Syd in the middle was fun to watch. I thought all four setters today were fantastic; it's not easy to come off the bench the way they did and keep our team running seamlessly."
The balanced UNE attack was topped by
Chloe Miracle with 11 kills, while rookies
Tess Madden and
Abby Simao contributed eight and seven, respectively.
Josie Eliot kept all nine of her swings inside the lines, and notched five winners.
Olivia Hollander helped guide the offense with 17 assists, and
Lylah Shumway collected 11 digs on the back end.
The Nor'easters did some real damage in the service game, piling up 17 aces. Shumway accounted for five, and both Madden and
Mia Kenny tacked on three.
"Chloe continues to be one of the most versatile athletes I have coached," Blanchard added. "Tess is displaying a very high volleyball IQ, and her combination of competitiveness along with a sense of humor is great for our team. Lylah's serving down the stretch in the 3rd set was particularly impressive, as well, on top of her strong defending."
UNE hits the road on Wednesday for a match against Salem State University.
Earlier in the day:
UNE 3, Southern Maine 1
