WESTFIELD, Mass. – It turns out the third time was not a charm on Wednesday night at the Woodward Center, as the Keene State College women's volleyball team fell to Westfield State University 3-1 (22-25, 17-25, 25-22, 10-25) in non-conference action, hitting just .089 in the process.

KSC (8-11) saw the first set slip away, failing to hold a 21-16 lead, and the match got away from there, as Westfield commanded two of the next three sets to snap a 21-match losing streak in the series.  Their last win over Keene State came in 2010, 3-0 at home.  Since, they had been swept in the series 13 times (including twice this year, once this past Saturday in a tri-match at Eastern Connecticut State University) and lost in four six others. 

Keene State's .089 attacking mark was their fourth worst of the season, and came just four days after the Owls hit a season-best .310 while dismantling WSU.

KSC's lone lead in the second set came at 4-3, after which Westfield scored six straight to take a five-point lead and was in command from there, going up 20-12 after scoring four straight – two on kills, one on an ace, and one on a block.  Another of the home team's 16 blocks came to end a 25-17 second set victory, putting Keene State in a deep hole.

The visitors avoided being sent home in the third as they raced out to a 7-0 advantage and never trailed despite Westfield answering right back within seven straight.  With the set tied at 15, a service error and kill by Stephanie Olah began a run of five straight for KSC to put them back up five, and they closed it out with two kills by Marina Miller on the final three points despite Westfield crawling back within two three times.

The suspense did not last long in the fourth set, as the home team scored 10 of 11 points to go up 10-2 and was never remotely threatened, making it 15-4 on yet another block.  Westfield twice achieved their largest lead of 15 – first at 24-9, and then on a match-clinching kill by Hanna Nihill.  KSC hit -.167 in the frame, compiling nine errors.  They also hit .000 (six kills, six errors) in the second set.

"It was a tough loss," said Keene State head coach Jake Girard.  "Congrats to Lexi (Small) on her 1,000th career assist."

"We were aced 13 times, can't win like that.  Blocked I think 16 times, can't win like that either.  Westfield played great."

KSC was also minus-10 in digs, getting a team-high 12 from Miller, who also led with 12 kills.

Sydney Cummins paced Westfield State with 13 kills and was joined in double-figures for WSU by Nihill (12) and Emma Nihill (11).

It does not get easier for Keene State, who travels to face defending Little East Conference tournament champion University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth (14-5, 2-0 LEC) on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.