PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Facing two of the top teams in New England volleyball was handed a pair of losses, first falling 3-2 to Clark University followed by a 3-0 loss to #16 Johnson and Wales University Saturday afternoon at the Johnson & Wales Wildcat Center.

THE BASICS

UMass Boston 2, Clark University 3
UMass Boston 0, #16 Johnson and Wales University 3

UMass Boston (8-14)
Clark University (13-9)
#16 Johnson & Wales (23-0)

HOW IT HAPPENED

In their first match of the day, UMB nearly pulled off the victory as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to a 25-22 win in the first set and a 25-23 win in the second.  Unfortunately, the could not maintain that momentum, as they dropped the third set 25-18, and the fourth set 25-12 to even the score at 2-2.  In the final frame, the Cougars clawed past the Beacons to earn the 15-9 win and the 3-2 victory.

Eileen Shi (San Francisco, Calif.) and Emilia Czapiewska (Saint Paul, Minn.) combined for 25 kills respectively, but both players failed to hit over .172 in the marathon match.  Rachel Maslach (Berlin Center, Ohio) led the team with 21 assists and had seven kills to her name.  Carsen Komminsk (Westerville, Ohio) played all five sets, and combined for 20 assists. 

Macayla Chianco (Clearwater, Fla.) led the match with 28 digs, while Shi capped-off another double-double with 10 digs.  Ariana Casingal (Melbourne, Fla.) recorded her best showing at the net as she tallied two solo blocks and two block assists.

The second match of the day was all Johnson and Wales through the first two sets.  The Wildcats picked-up a 25-8 win in the first set and a 25-17 win in the second.  UMass Boston made things interesting in the third frame, but JWU, who has dropped just one set all season completed the victory with a 25-22 win.

Shi combined for 11 kills in the loss, while Maslach and Komminsk tallied 28 assists respectively.  Chianco was busy in the three-set match as she put-up 20 digs.  Alex Gibbs (Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas) registered nine digs and had four kills.  Sarah Doyle (Glendale, Calif.) combined for one solo block, three block assists, and four kills.

BY THE NUMBERS

• All-time UMass Boston fell to 1-3 against Clark, while they are now 5-1 against Johnson and Wales University
• Despite the loss, Shi still sits third in the Little East Conference in kills with 283
• Chianco remains the conference's leader in digs per set with 5.00, while her 410 digs sits just 30 behind the conference leader
• Doyle's 0.86 blocks per set leads the team and the LEC heading into the final two weeks of the regular season

WHO'S NEXT

The Beacons will host Keene State College on Wednesday at 6 p.m. on senior day.