STANDISH, Maine - Women's Volleyball will return from a road trip with a winning record for the first time since the 2021 campaign. First-year head coach Stacy Cheney has the team on a three-game winning streak - all via sweep - following their 3-0 victory over Saint Joseph's College on Tuesday night.

THE BASICS
UMass Boston 3, Saint Joseph's College 0

UMass Boston (4-3)
Saint Joseph's College (2-5)

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Beacons' clean sweep got off to a less than clean start in the opening set. An attack error gave Saint Joseph's a 24-21 lead an opportunity to take the set. UMass Boston fought back, however, forcing three consecutive errors to tie the set at 24.

The two squads wrestled to secure the victory in the extended set, but neither team could build out the coveted two-point lead needed to win. Down 30-29, once again facing elimination, the Beacons came alive. Two errors by the Monks gave them a match point and Amelia Devlin's assist set up one of Paige Coulson's eight kills to secure the 32-30 victory, the highest-scoring set for the Beacons this season. 

The second set of the match was another contentious affair, with both teams sustaining runs throughout. After trailing 10-8 and 15-13, the Beacons were able to build out a sizable lead, using a 9-1 run to take a commanding 22-16 lead. The Monks continued to fight, cutting the UMass Boston lead to 22-20 before a pair of errors and a Lauren Westlund kill finished off the set, 25-21 in favor of the Beacons.

In the third set neither team held a lead of more than three points until a Katie Rennie kill put the Beacons on the verge of closing out with a 23-19 advantage. True to form, the Monks ripped off a 5-1 run, tying the set at 24 and extending the match. Keen on getting home at a reasonable hour, Devlin passed out her final two assists to Westlund and Coulson, sending the Beacons home with a third straight victory via sweep.

BY THE NUMBERS

• The Beacons currently hold their best winning percentage and longest winning streak since the 2021 season that ended in a Little East Conference championship
• Ally Dean recorded a career-high 26 digs on defense while Devlin captained the offense with a match-best 25 assists
• Westlund and Coulson led the way with 11 and 10.5 match points, respectively
• Taryn Broughal recorded a hit percentage of .429 or better for the third match in a row
• The Beacons improved to 2-0 all-time against the Monks, matching their 3-0 sweep during the 2009 season

WHO'S NEXT
The Beacons will participate in the UMass Dartmouth Invitational this weekend, facing Mount Holyoke College on Friday at 6 PM before playing a doubleheader on Saturday.