Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 SALEM, Mass. – Freshmen Kristina Rubico (Chelmsford, Mass.) and Amanda Keppel (Springfield, Pa./Merion Mercy) combined for 21 kills, eight service aces and 14 digs as the University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Salem State University Vikings 3-0 (25-20, 25-15, 25-20) to complete a two-match sweep of the Vikings and the Pine Manor College Gators Saturday afternoon at Twohig Gymnasium. USM defeated Pine Manor 3-0 (25-15, 25-15, 25-14) in its first match of the day.
With the pair of wins, Southern Maine improves to 16-4 on the season, extending its win streak to four matches. The Huskies' 16 wins are their most since the 2003 season when they finished 19-12 overall. Salem State, which defeated Pine Manor, falls to 2-8 with the split. With the pair of losses, Pine Manor falls to 1-14 overall.
Against Salem, Rubico was dominant swinging for a solid .346 hitting percentage on 10 kills and 26 attempts with one error. She added two service aces, seven digs and a pair of solo blocks. Keppel had a match-high 11 digs on 27 attempts and six errors. She served for six aces, adding seven digs.
In their first game, the Huskies' hit for a solid .274 as a team combining for 32 kills on 73 attempts with 12 errors. Freshman Alyssa Melanson (Merrimack, N.H.) led the Huskies with eight kills on 14 attempts for a solid .429 hitting percentage. Freshmen Karina Zellou (Marshfield, Maine/Machias) had a season best six kills, while Keppel (Springfield, Pa./Merion Lower) also added six kills. Freshman Megan Nilson (Granby, Conn.) had 23 assists to coordinate the USM offense effectively.
Southern Maine hosts UMass Boston on Tuesday (7:00 p.m.) in a Little East Conference match.
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