GORHAM, Maine. – The University of Southern Maine women's volleyball team suffered a pair of close losses on Saturday at a home tri-match, falling in five sets in both games. First, the Huskies were edged out by Little East Conference opponent Keene State College 3-2 then dropped a non-conference match to UMaine Fort Kent by the same score.
 
When and Where: Saturday, October 22, 2022 – University of Southern Maine – Hill Gymnasium
Game 1
Score: Owls 3, Huskies 2 (25-16, 21-15, 25-12, 18-25, 15-10)
 
Records: Keene State 9-13, 5-2, Southern Maine: 4-17, 2-5
 
History: The Owls lead the all-time series 21-6.
 
How It Happened:

• The broke a 2-2 tie early in the first set with a 9-0 run to coast to a 25-16 victory.
• The turning point for the second set came when the Huskies scored seven unanswered points to take an 18-15 lead thanks largely to three kills during the run from sophomore Isabella Smith (Merrimack, N.H.). While the visitors eventually tied the set at 19-19 three kills from freshman Drew Johnson (Pismo Beach, Cali. /Brewer) helped the Huskies close out the set to tie the match at one set apiece.
• The Owls scored the first six points of the third set and never relinquished the lead. They took the set 25-12.
• The Huskies opened the fourt set on a 4-0 run and remained in the lead throughout the set to force a tiebreaker set thanks to a 25-18 set victory.
• The fifth set saw the Huskies fight hard and tie the set multiple times but the Owls closed out the match by scoring the final five points to take the match three sets to two.

Inside The Boxscore

• Junior Brianna Delloiacono (Moodus, Conn./ Nathan Hale-Ray) led the Huskies with 19 kills, one shy of tying Keene State's Sydney Johnson for the game lead in the stat.
• Junior Meg Perry (Gorham, Maine) tallied five aces and added nine kills.
• Senior Sophie Lindsay (Sierra Madre, Cail./Pasadena) had a strong game with 37 assists, 16 digs and three total blocks.
• Junior Sierra Castonguay (Nottingham, N.H./Dover) added 24 digs and three aces.
• Kacie Blanchet led the Owls in assists with 49.
• Reagan Fleming added 32 digs for Keene State.

Game 2
Score: Bengals 3, Huskies 2 (19-25, 25-16, 25-20, 22-25, 15-8)
 
Records: Southern Maine 4-18, UMFK 18-4
 
History: The all-time series record is now 14-8 in favor of the Huskies.
 
How It Happened:

• The Huskies won the first set by a score of 25-19 in a set that featured four ties and three lead changes.
• The Bengals finished the second set on a 9-0 run to tie the match at one set a piece. UMFK recorded a .357 hitting percentage in the frame and only made one attack error.
• UMFK never trailed in the third set and held off the Huskies for a 25-20 set win to go up 2-1.
• Southern Maine broke a 22-22 tie with three straight points to force a fifth set.
• The Bengals hit .474 with nine kills and no attack errors to win the tiebreaker 15-8.

 
Inside The Boxscore

• Junior Kailey Foley (New Gloucester, Maine/Gray-New Gloucester) led the Huskies in seven aces and added seven kills and three total blocks.
• Lindsay again paced Southern Maine in assists with 39 and tied with Castonguay for the team lead in digs with 18.
• Kayla Iwata tied with Foley for the game lead in aces with seven. She also logged 20 assists and 17 digs.
• Halle Ham notched 26 digs for the Bengals.

Up Next: The Huskies will host Husson University on Tuesday night at 7PM at Hill Gym. The team will be celebrating Senior Night prior to the contest.