Southern Maine Falls in Five Sets at Bowdoin

            BRUNSWICK, Maine -- The University of Southern Maine women's volleyball forced the Bowdoin College Polar Bears to a fifth set before falling 3-2 (22-25, 25-13, 25-20, 24-26, 15-9) in a non-conference match Wednesday evening at Morrell Gymnasium.

            The loss was the first of the season for the Huskies (3-1) after opening the season with three straight wins.  The match was the season opener for the Polar Bears.

            USM took the opening set before Bowdoin came back to take the next two to take a 2-1 lead in the best of five-set match.  Down 2-1, the Huskies pushed the match into a fifth set by taking a 26-24 decision in the fourth set.  USM staved off a match point on a kill from sophomore Alayna McNally (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee), then took the set on two service aces by senior Mo Raymond (Sanbornton, N.H./Winnisquam).

            In the decisive fifth set, the Polar Bears overcame a one-point deficit (7-6) with a 9-2 run to take the set, and the match.  Junior Sydney Salle (Chadds Ford, Pa./Unionville) had four kills, and senior Michelle Albright (Los Altos, Calif.) added three kills, in Polar Bears' winning run.

            USM senior Jess Williamson (Goffstown, N.H.) posted her third double-double of the season knocking down 20 kills and digging up 15 balls.  Sophomore Kylee Austin (Saco, Maine/Thornton Academy) added 10 kills.  Junior Nicole Schmitz (St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham) dished out 34 assists, and senior Mariah Garcia (Brighton, Colo./Central) had a team-high 33 digs.

            Salle and Albright combined for 32 kills, and rookie Ashley Williams (Cold Springs, N.Y./Haldane) added 12 kills.  Rookie setter Kate Kiser (Volo, Ill./Grant Community) had 54 assists and junior Lisa Sheldon (Venice, Calif./Marlborough School) had a match-high 35 digs.  Albright and Kiser had double-doubles for the Polar Bears.  Albright had 15 kills and 24 digs, and Kiser compiled 15 digs to go along with her 54 assists.

            Southern Maine returns to the court on Saturday (2:00 p.m.) traveling to Boston to play non-conference matches against St. Joseph's (Conn.) and Emmanuel College at Emmanuel.  Bowdoin heads to Brandeis University for the New England Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

-ble-