Boston, MA (Oct. 11, 2025) — The UMass Boston volleyball team battled back to earn a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Keene State on Saturday afternoon at the Clark Athletic Center. In their first five-set win of the season, the Beacons showed resilience and grit, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to secure the crucial Little East Conference (LEC) victory. 

Each set was tightly contested. Keene State opened with a 25-18 win, but UMass Boston responded with a 25-18 win of their own in the second. The Owls edged the Beacons 25-23 in set three, but UMass Boston bounced back with another 25-18 win in the fourth to force a deciding set. In the fifth, the Beacons came out strong and closed the match with a 15-12 victory. 

Despite registering more kills in the first set (12-10), nine errors cost the Beacons early momentum. In the second set, they again tallied 12 kills but cleaned up their game, limiting errors to just three compared to Keene's six. Keene State hit efficiently in the third set, but their production dipped in the fourth, while the Beacons surged with 14 kills. In the final set, UMass Boston hit an efficient .250, with 9 kills to just 2 errors, outperforming Keene's 8 kills and 4 errors. 

Offensively, three Beacons recorded double-digit kills, Paige Coulson (17 kills, 16 digs), Lauren Westlund (14 kills, 18 digs), and Mary Denny (11 kills). All three either matched or exceeded Keene State's top performer. 

UMass Boston also excelled at the service line, tallying 9 aces, and controlled the net with key blocking contributions from Mikayla Cleary and Addie Blomgren. 

Audrey Cofield continued to orchestrate the offense with 40 assists and added 13 digs, while Mary Matthews, a three-time LEC Defensive Player of the Week, led the team with 27 digs. The Beacons out-dug the Owls 88-76 overall. 

With the win, UMass Boston remains undefeated in LEC play. 

Up Next 

The Beacons step out of conference on Wednesday, October 15 when they travel to Nichols College in Dudley, MA. First serve is set for 6:00 PM.