WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – The Keene State College volleyball team broke a 21-all tie with three straight points in the second set and went on to sweep Eastern Connecticut State University, 25-20, 25-22, 25-16, in a Little East Conference match Saturday afternoon at Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium. 

With its eighth win in its last nine matches this year and ninth in the last ten contests against Eastern (11-14, 2-3 LEC), Keene (19-8, 5-1 LEC) moves a half-game ahead of the University of Massachusetts Boston at the top of the conference standings.

The Owls can finish no worse than second overall in the LEC and could claim the No. 1 overall seed with the combination of a win over UMass Dartmouth and a UMass Boston loss to either UMass Dartmouth or Western Connecticut State.

The Warriors host Rhode Island Tuesday night at 7 p.m. and visit Plymouth State Saturday at noon in wrapping up the LEC regular season. The top two finishers in the conference standings gain a first-round tournament bye, with the No. 3 seed hosting No. 6 and No. 4 hosting No. 5 in the first-round matches Nov. 3. 

Eastern held a slim early lead in the first set before Keene called timeout and later gained momentum to score four of five points and move out to a five-point, 23-18 lead. The Warriors took a 15-12 lead in the second set but Keene answered with a run that lift it into an 18-17 lead. Eastern never led thereafter, but managed to tie the set at 21-all. Keene then scored three straight at that point to take command. The Warriors scored the first point of the third set but never led again. Leading by four, Keene ran off four of the next five points to expand the lead to seven, 22-15. 

Senior Madeleiine Nossiff dominated play for Keene, collecting 12 kills with a .360 attack percentage. First-team All-LEC senior hitter Angela Silveri followed with nine kills and a .259 percentage. Senior setter Alexis Michal set for 26 assists, freshman libero Riley Bunker and Michal each had 11 digs and Silveri nine. Senior Christine Hadfield had three blocks and Michal three aces. 

Junior Adrianna Mihalek led Eastern with nine kills with a .353 attack percentage, junior Kay Mullen adding eight kills. Junior Fabiana Della Monica and sophomore Amanda Tourjee combined for 24 assists.  Senior libero Allie Luppi led both teams with 14 digs, Mihalek and sophomore Michelle Valliere contributing eight each and Tourjee seven. Freshman Sage Tourigny had four blocks.

Keene State will host Lyndon State College on Thursday evening at 7 p.m.