NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA. – The University of Southern Maine volleyball program hit the road on Saturday for a tri-match hosted by Little East Conference opponent the University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth. The Huskies were felled 3-1 in the opening conference contest against the host Corsairs but rebounded with a 3-0 sweep of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. The split sends the Huskies to 6-10 overall and 1-3 LEC.
 
In the opening game, sophomore outside hitter Brianna Delloiacono (Moodus, CT) set a new career-high with 16 kills to go with 15 digs for her second double-double of the season. She followed that up with a team-best tying eight kills and a season-high .571 hitting percentage in game two. 
 
When and Where: Saturday, October 2, 2021 – University of Massachusetts – Dartmouth – Tripp Athletic Center
 
Game One Score: Corsairs 3, Huskies 1 (23-25, 25-23, 17-25, 23-25)
 
Game One History: This was the 33rd meeting between the two programs. UMass-Dartmouth leads the series 22-11.
 
Game One Standout Husky: senior setter Sophie Lindsay (Sierra Madre, CA): 10 kills, .391 hitting%, 32 assists, double-double, six digs.
 
Game One Standout Corsair: Devon Laing: game-high 19 kills, game-high 22 digs, double-double, three aces, one block.
 
How It Happened, Game One: 
 
-The Corsairs took an early 4-0 edge using two kills, an attack error, and an ace. The Huskies cut their deficit to one, 9-8 getting a dual block from freshman outside hitter Alizia Lagando (Huron, OH) and freshman middle blocker Sarah Haggerty (Lisbon, ME). A bad set by the Huskies put them behind 15-9 as they looked to cool the hosts' momentum with a timeout. Behind 18-12, the Huskies strung together three straight to make it an 18-15 set. They came within two, 22-20 via another mini-run which was ended with a Lagando kill. On set point, the Huskies put together a kill and a point off a bad set to remain in the game 24-23, but an attack error ended the comeback. 
 
-USM took their first lead of the match in the second set, 2-1 thanks to a Corsairs attack error. After the miscue, the Corsairs established a 6-2 advantage after notching five consecutive points. The Huskies then dropped the margin to one, 15-14 using a Brianna Delloiacono kill and a Haggerty ace. They evened the second set 17 all a few serves later getting two kills and a freshman setter Phoebe Slovenski (Cape Neddick, ME) ace. UMass-Dartmouth took a timeout and went on a 5-1 binge to move ahead 22-18 off three consecutive aces by Kate Wade. The Huskies took a timeout and responded by outscoring their counterparts 7-1 over the sets final serves getting two aces by sophomore defensive specialist Sierra Castonguay (Nottingham, NH), two kills, two attack errors, and a service error by UMD. 
 
-With the score even at 6-6, UMass-Dartmouth chipped in the next five markers to move ahead 11-6. A Kate Wade attack error had the Huskies bring down the margin to three, 16-13. From there the home team erupted for six in a row getting two kills by Laing and a Kate Wade ace to increase their advantage to nine, 22-13. Laing eventually won the set for the Corsairs putting away the 25th point and giving her squad the all-important third set. 
 
-In the fourth set even at 7-7 the Huskies then took their largest lead of the contest at 12-7 as they recorded five in a row with Castonguay serving. Trailing by four, 15-11, the Corsairs came within two points, 15-13 due to two straight Husky attack miscues. Southern Maine rebuilt their three point lead,18-15 when freshman middle hitter Madison Zimmer (Regina, SK, Canada) banged home a kill from the middle of the court. Southern Maine's lead grew to four, but the Corsairs clawed back to tie the set 22-22 late via three straight and a Lauryn Latimore right side mash. Their run continued after the Huskies took a timeout as they were one point away from the 3-1 win, 24-22. Sophie Lindsay extended the match with a skip-set kill into the middle of the court to pull her squad within one 24-23. Latimore and Marley Alexander wrapped up the match with a block on the left pin to rally for the victory.
 
Inside The Box Score, Game One: 
 
-Including Lindsay, two other Huskies had double-doubles.
-Delloiacono had a career-high 16 kills to go with 15 digs for her second double-double of the season.
-Lagando contributed 14 kills and 16 digs for her second straight double-double and seventh of the campaign.
-Castonguay established a new personal-best with four aces, which was also a match-high.
-Phoebe Slovenski set a new career-high with 14 digs.
 
 
Game Two Score: Huskies 3, Buccaneers 0 (25-8, 25-19, 25-15)
 
Game Two History: This was the sixth meeting between the two programs. The Huskies lead the series 6-0.
 
Game Two Standout Husky: Brianna Delloiacono: 8 kills, .571 hitting%., one dig.
 
Game Two Standout Buccaneer: Ameena Freeman: two kills, game-high 10 digs, one assist.
 
How It Happened, Game Two: 
 
-The Huskies took an early 4-0 lead getting back-to-back kills by Lagando and senior right side Kim Grant (Saco, ME). Lindsay set up Zimmer for the Huskies eighth point setting up a 10-0 run in which Zimmer notched another kill along with two for Delloiacono and four Phoebe Slovenski aces to make it a 17-3 Husky lead in the middle portion of the set. Mass. Maritime could only muster five points over the remainder of the set as the Huskies wrapped up the 25-8 first set victory.
 
-A Delloiacono kill gave the Huskies their first advantage of the second set at 4-3. Both programs kept trading points back and forth until USM notched a 6-2 binge to lead 11-8 due to a couple of miscues by the Bucs and a Lagando kill. The Huskies would gain back the multiple score edge 15-10 when Sarah Haggerty perfectly placed an ace. Her ace was part of a stretch where the Huskies racked up six straight points to increase their advantage to 19-10 near the end of the set. The Buccaneers would not waver as they went on a 7-3 run of their own which put them behind 22-17 after Tegan Murray recorded an ace. Southern Maine took the 2-0 match lead after an Audrey Manning service error.
 
-Another ace, this time by Haggerty put her team ahead 6-2 in the early stages of the third set. The Huskies kept putting up points and expanded their edge to 11-4 when Phoebe Solvenski set up Lindsay on the left side for the successful kill. Madison Zimmer moved the score to 12-5 when she powered the ball into the middle portion of the floor. Delloiacono continued to attack and put up another kill to double-up the Husky lead at 18-9. Mass. Maritime cut the lead to five, 18-13 via an Izabella Mackintosh kill. Phoebe Slovenski put together back-to-back aces making it a 21-14 third set. Sophie Lindsay wrapped up the match by converting a feed from Slovenski on the right side.
 
Inside The Box Score, Game Two: 
 
-Southern Maine hit .500 in the first set compared to -.200 for the Bucs.
-The Huskies had seven of their 12 service aces in the opening set with Phoebe Slovenski tallying four of them.
-In the second set, USM hit .400 while MMA hit -.056.
-The Huskies had 35 kills compared to 12 for the Bucs.
-Three Huskies had hitting% over .500; Delloiacono (.571), Lagando (.500), Zimmer (.500).
-Phoebe Slovenski set a new personal-best with six assists. 
 
Up Next: The navy and gold return home to the Warren G. Hill Gymnasium on Tuesday for a non-conference battle with 103649the Saint Joseph's College of Maine with first serve slated for 7:00 p.m.
 
Southern Maine Athletics has gone to fully digital game programs, please click this link to access the game programs to future Husky home events!