WILLIMANTIC, CONN. 9/28/13 – The Keene State College women's volleyball team won two matches on Saturday in Willimantic, Conn., including its first Little East Conference match of the season.

The Owls (10-6, 1-1 LEC) began the day by defeating host Eastern Conn. State University in three highly-competitive games 3-0 (25-14, 30-28 and 25-21).  The Warriors had four match points against Keene State in the key second set but couldn't put away the Owls. 

The Warriors led early in the first set but Keene State went on a 12-3 run and coasted to the first-set victory. In the second set, Eastern couldn't put away set point four times, and the Owls finally scored three consecutive points for the two-point victory. A Keene block pulled them even at 28-all. Junior Sammy Dormio (Leesburg, Va.) and classmate Madeline Nossiff (Portsmouth, N.H.) closed it out with kills.

 In the third set, the Owls broke from a 16-all tie with four straight points, with sophomore Olivia Broderick (Gilford, N.H.) contributing two kills in the run which put the visitors in command.

 "It was a good first conference win for us," said KSC Coach Bob Weiner.  "It wasn't easy.  We had control of the match and then we lost it several times."

Sophomore Angela Silveri (Poughquag, N.Y.) led Keene State with 10 kills and 13 digs.  Junior Samantha Branning (Glastonbury, Conn.) also had a strong match with eight kills and two blocks.

Defensively, sophomore Kaitlin Boyer (West Greenwich, R.I.) and junior Sammy Dormio (Leesburg, Va.) finished with 15 and 12 digs respectively. 

Sophomore Alexis Michal (Windham, N.H.) with 15 assists and freshman Brooke Bell (Melrose, Mass.) with 14 assists split the setting chores.

Keene State had a much easier time in its second match of the day, sweeping Eastern Nazarene College form Quincy, Mass 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, and 25-17).

Silveri continued her hot hitting, finishing with 15 kills to go with three service aces, six digs and one block.  Sophomore Madeline Nossiff (Portsmouth, N.H.) also had six kills.  Michal also had 13 assist and three service aces.  KSC finished the match with nine service aces.

Keene State is back at Spaulding Gym on Tuesday; host Emmanuel College in a 7 p.m. non-conference match.