(Courtesy of Plymouth State Sports Information)

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- The Plymouth State University women's volleyball team used a balanced attack Wednesday evening to hold off the University of Southern Maine, 3-1, in a key Little East Conference match at Foley Gymnasium.

            The win snapped a seven-match losing skid for the Panthers, and improved their record to 8-15 overall and 2-2 in conference action.  The Huskies dropped their second straight match to slip to 15-9 overall.  The Huskies remain winless (0-4) in LEC matches.

            The match was very close and went back and forth the entire evening. The teams split the first two sets, PSU pulling out a 25-21 victory in the first set and USM coming back to take the second, 25-23.  The pivotal third set stayed within two points in either team's favor the whole way, and the score was tied at 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 before a pair of winners by PSU sophomore Brianna Wojtas (Salem, N.H.) closed out the set, 26-24.

            Southern Maine hung tough throughout the fourth set, led by the strong hitting of freshman Jessica Williamson (Goffstown, N.H.).  The Huskies led 11-10, but PSU rattled off seven of the next nine points to open up a 17-13 margin. The teams traded points the rest of the way, PSU putting the Huskies away with a 25-18 verdict in the final set.

            Wojtas led the Panther offense with 13 kills, while senior Jana Nieman (Fair Lawn, N.J.) and sophomore Mikke Taffe (East Hampstead, N.H.) added nine winners apiece.  Junior setter Kirsten Perrotta (Hudson, N.H.) had a strong all-around match, recording eight kills on 10 attack attempts, six service aces, seven digs and 33 assists.

            Williamson topped the Huskies with 13 kills along with nine digs while freshman Monica Raymond (Sanbornton, N.H.) added nine winners with a .500 attack percentage (9-0-18).  Sophomore setter Megan Nilson (Granby, Conn.) posted 27 assists and a team-high three aces, and junior Renee Trottier (Biddeford, Maine) was good for four kills and 12 digs.

            Southern Maine is back in action on Saturday (11:00/1:00) playing a non-conference tri-match against Fairleigh-Dickinson Florham and Wellesley College at Wellesley.  PSU is home again on Saturday, hosting Keene State College, Smith College and Mount Holyoke College in the Little East Conference-New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (LEC-NEWMAC) Challenge, beginning at 11:00 a.m. 

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