Box Score KEENE, N.H. – Led by Blair Boyer's (Encinitas, Calif.) career-high 12 kills, volleyball (12-3, 2-0 Little East) earned their second straight Little East Conference win of the week as they defeated Keene State College (7-11, 0-1 Little East) by the final of 3-1 Wednesday evening at Spaulding Gymnasium.
On the night, the junior recorded a .212 hitting percentage as the Beacons won their 11th straight match. Also having a strong night was sophomore Pepper Baker (Tallahassee, Fla.) who drove home nine kills, while also tallying 12 assists and 10 digs to nearly earn the program's first triple-double of the year.
The Beacons came out in the opening game and cruised past the Owls to earn a 25-16 win. Keene State would make it a much closer match in the second game, but luckily the Beacons were able to hang on for a 25-19 win. In the third game, UMass was unable to put away their longtime conference rivals, as the Owls jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Keene State would force a game-four with their 25-21 win.
In what was the final game of the night, the Beacons managed to hold off a late rally by the Owls to earn a 25-20 win. The victory marked the 10th straight win for the Beacons over the Owls as they claimed the top-spot in this week's New England Women's Volleyball Association (NEWVA) regional poll. With Thursday's win, the Beacons remain undefeated in regional play with a 6-0 record.
Setter Emma Rocha (Boynton Beach, Fla.) combined for 27 assists, and had two of the Beacons nine service aces. Elizabeth Glavan (Edina, Minn.) led the match with three aces and totaled 22 digs to once again drive the Beacons back row. At the net UMass dominated all night with their 16 block assists, and two solo stops. Bri Sousa (Swansea, Mass.) was the Beacons go-to blocker with her six block assists. The Beacons strong defense held the Owls to a mere .045 hitting percentage on the night.
Angela Silveri led the Owls with seven kills, while Alexis Michal totaled 14 assists. Brooke Bell and Michal each finished with 12 digs. Bell also had 13 assists and two aces for her team.
Volleyball returns to action on Tuesday when they host Tufts University at 6 p.m.
