Box Score BOSTON, Mass. - The Keene State College volleyball team saw their season come to an end at the hands of Eastern Connecticut State in the semifinals of the Little East Conference volleyball tournament Saturday afternoon.
With the loss, the Owls conclude the season with an overall record of 20-16, while the Warriors improve to 17-16 and will face Western Connecticut State in the finals. West Conn. knocked off the top seed UMass Boston Beacons in the other LEC semifinal.
Angela Silveri and Samantha Branning led the Owls with seven kills each, while classmates Brooke Bell and Alexis Michal combined for 26 assists. Katie Cunningham added 19 digs followed by Silveri's 10. Branning and Christine Hadfield each recorded three block assists.
For the Warriors, Adrianna Mihalek recorded 13 kills followed by Ashley Adams' eight. Allie Henry registered a game high 33 assists and Allie Luppi added 21 digs and four service aces.
The Warriors jumped out to a 4-1 lead which would turn out to be the largest margin in the first set, but the Owls quickly came back to tie at 4 on three straight errors by Eastern Connecticut. Keene State's Rachel Lamica recorded a service ace to tie the match at 23, but the Warriors would receive two kills by Mihalek to claim the first set 26-24.
The Owls fell behind 14-5 in the second set 14-5, but two kills by Branning would spark a five-point run by KSC to come within four points. The Warriors returned the favor and went on their own run to take a 20-10 lead and eventually the second set.
KSC came out hot in the do or die third set, claiming a lead of 7-3, however Eastern Connecticut put things out of reach, ending the match on a six point run to sweep the Owls and advance to the finals.
"We played a good first set that could have gone either way," head coach Bob Weiner said. "It was too bad we played badly (the other two sets)."
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