Huskies at Home on Wednesday (7:00 p.m.) Against Rivier

            NORTH DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs compiled an impressive .355 attack percentage en route to a 3-0 victory (25-22, 25, 18, 25-13) over the visiting University of Southern Maine Huskies in a Little East Conference volleyball match Saturday afternoon at the Tripp Athletic Center.

            The Corsairs improved to 5-7 overall with their second win in three matches this week.  The Huskies dropped their third straight match to fall to 4-6 overall.  The match was the conference opener for both sides.

            In the opening set, the Huskies were up 18-15 following an ace from senior co-captain Demi Ruder (Grand Junction, Colo./Central).  The Corsairs responded by taking five of the next six points to take the lead and the momentum.  After a kill from USM sophomore Robbi Termentozzi (Grand Junction, Colo./Central) tied the score at 20-20, the Corsairs won five the next seven points to take the set.

            UMD used a 6-0 run early in the second set to take a 10-6 lead.  The Corsairs sustained their lead between three and six points throughout the remainder of the set to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

            The Huskies got off to a fast start in the third set taking a 5-1 lead, but the Corsairs went on a 13-2 run take a 14-7 advantage.  USM never got closer than five points the rest of the way.

            The Corsairs had five players slam down seven or more kills in the match.  Senior Eliza Bowes (West Yarmouth, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth) led the way with 11 kills on 22 attacks.  Bowes also had six service aces.  Rookie Olivia Wallett (Willington, Conn./Edwin Smith) had 10 kills on 19 attacks.  Senior Jasmine Burris (New Bedford, Mass./Greater New Bedford) had nine kills and 11 digs, and senior Kayla Kirby (Westport, Mass.) had eight kills.  Junior Megan Ronaghan (North Attleboro, Mass.) added seven kills on 13 attacks.  The five combined for 45 kills on 104 attacks with only seven errors (.365 attack percentage).

            Junior setter Christina Spinazola (Medway, Mass.) quarterbacked the Corsairs offense with 35 assists, and senior libero Brianna Perry (Acushnet, Mass./New Bedford) had a match-high 29 digs.

            Sophomore Jess Williamson (Goffstown, N.H.) led the Huskies attack with eight kills, and classmate Mo Raymond (Sanbornton, N.H.) had six kills.  Williamson also had a team-high 16 digs.  Ruder had a pair of aces and 11 digs.  Junior Megan Nilson (Granby, Conn.) posted her fourth double-double of the season with 13 assists and 10 digs.  Rookie Nicole Schmitz (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham) had 10 assists and eight digs.

            Southern Maine is back in action Wednesday evening (7:00 p.m.) hosting Rivier College at the Warren Hill Gymnasium in a non-conference match.  UMass Dartmouth travels to Suffolk University for a non-conference match on Tuesday (7:00 p.m.).

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