BOSTON -- Sophomore hitter Julia Murphy (Canton, Mass.) and junior hitter Bri Sousa (Swansea, Mass.) combined for 27.5 points to help the University of Massachusetts Boston women's volleyball team defeat the University of Southern Maine, 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-19), in a Little East Conference match Tuesday evening at the Clark Athletic Gymnasium.

            The win was the 13th in the last 14 matches for the Beacons who improved to 14-4 overall and conference-leading 3-0 in the LEC.  The loss snapped the Huskies' three-match winning streak.  The Huskies fall to 13-7 overall and 0-3 in conference play.

            Murphy had a team-high 12 kills, one ace, one solo block and one block assist to account for 14.5 points while Sousa contributed seven kills, three aces, two solo blocks and two block assists for 13 points.

            Senior Kirsten Morrison (North Reading, Mass.) added seven kills for the Beacons who compiled a .272 hitting percentage (38-10-103) in the match.  Junior setter Emma Rocha (Boynton Beach, Fla./Pope John Paul II) had 17 assists and sophomore Pepper Baker (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) passed out 12 assists.  Sophomore Elizabeth Glavan (Edina, Minn.) dug up a match-high 22 digs.

            Rookie outside hitter Jessica Williamson (Goffstown, N.H.) led the Huskies with a match-high 14 kills and nine digs.  Junior Jessica Garrett (Las Vegas, Nev./Palo Verde) and freshman Monica Raymond (Sanbornton, N.H./Winnisquam) had five kills apiece.  Sophomore setter Megan Nilson (Granby, Conn.) dished out 19 assists and had six digs.  Junior libero Demi Ruder (Grand Junction, Colo./Central) and sophomore Mariah Garcia (Brighton, Colo./Central) had 15 and 13 digs, respectively.

            The Huskies closed to within 21-19 in the opening set before the Beacons were able close out the set on a pair of Huskies' errors and a Sousa kill.  In the middle set, the Huskies took a quick 4-1 lead before the Beacons responded with an 8-2 run highlighted by kills from Murphy, Baker and Sousa.  The Beacons maintained the lead throughout the remainder of the set closing it on a kill from junior hitter Blair Boyer (Encinitas, Calif./La Costa Canyon).  The Beacons took command in the third set getting out to a 10-2 lead.  Down 14-5, the Huskies would outscore the Beacons 14-11 before another Boyer kill finished the match.

            Southern Maine is on the road again on Thursday (7:00 p.m.) traveling to Husson University.  UMass Boston will entertain Trine University (Ind.) and Emerson College on Friday in the first day of the UMass Boston Beacons Invitational.

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