FITCHBURG, Mass. – The University of Southern Maine Huskies defeated the Curry College Colonels 3-0 on Saturday in a tri-match hosted by Fitchburg State University. The Huskies then saw their comeback attempt fall short in a 3-2 loss to the Falcons after rallying back from a 2-0 deficit. Several Huskies turned in career-best performances on the day led by a double-double by junior Drew Johnson (Pismo Beach, Cali./Brewer) in the match against Fitchburg State with 11 kills and a career-high 27 digs. Johnson finished the day with a total of 22 kills, seven aces, a solo block and four block assists for 32 total points. She also had 36 digs on the day.
 
Sophomore Tiara Begishe (Shonto, Ariz./Monument Valley) and fifth-year senior Sierra Castonguay (Nottingham, N.H./Dover) also put up impressive numbers. Begishe had a total of 64 assists with a career-high 40 coming against Fitchburg State. She also had her first double-double as a Husky with 10 digs in the match. Castonguay contributed 41 digs over the two matches and matched her career-high with 28 in the second match.
 
Freshman Casey Murillo (League City, Texas/Clear Falls) had double-digit kills for the first time in her career with 10 in five-set loss to Fitchburg State.
 
Game 1 vs. Curry
 
The Records:
Southern Maine: 5-14
Curry: 1-16
 
Series History:
The Colonels and Huskies have now played eight times with the Huskies leading 6-2. The Huskies extended their winning streak in the series to six matches and previously defeated the Colonels 3-0 on September 7.
 
How It Happened:

• Leading 12-8, the Huskies closed out the opening set with an incredible 14-0 run that featured six aces from senior Madison Zimmer (Regina, Saskatchewan/Dr. Martin LeBoldus Catholic). The Huskies had nine total aces in the set and hit .526 with 11 kills against just one attack error.
• Curry scored the first two points of the second set but that was the only lead they held in the stanza. After a series of tied scores, the Huskies broke a 11-11 tie with an 8-2 run to go up 19-11 and ended up taking the set 25-18.
• The Southern Maine sweep was completed with a 25-16 win in the third set. The Huskies ended the match with four consecutive points with an ace by Begishe finishing the match.

 
Inside The Stats:

• Southern Maine's 15 aces are tied for the team's most in a three-set match this season. The Huskies led 15-3 in aces with Zimmer leading the team with six followed by Johnson with four.
• Johnson had a great all-around game with 11 kills, nine digs, four aces, two block assists and a solo block. Her 17 points are a career-best for a three-set match.
• Sophomore Chloe Whittaker (Biddeford, Maine) reached double figures in digs for the first time in a three-set match in her career with 14. She led all players in the statistic with Castonguay placing second with 13.
• Begishe led all players in assists with 26.
• Kyah Earls led Curry in kills with seven and had seven digs to finish one behind Jasmyne Fillippini for the team lead.
• Emma St. Cyr had 11 assists to lead the Colonels.

 
Game 2 vs. Fitchburg State
 
The Records:
Southern Maine: 5-15
Fitchburg State: 3-12
 
Series History:
Fitchburg State and Southern Maine have now played seven times with the Huskies leading the series 4-3. Fitchburg won the first two matches in the series and today's win snapped a four-match losing streak to the Huskies.
 
How It Happened:

• An 8-0 run allowed Fitchburg State to take a 16-7 lead in the first set before the Huskies cut the lead to four points at 20-16. The Falcons then closed out the set on a 5-1 run to win 25-17.
• The Huskies got out to an 8-3 lead in the second set, but the Falcons were able to chip away at the lead to tie the score at 11-11. The hosts eventually broke a 16-16 tie with a 3-0 run and ended the set with five consecutive points to win 25-18.
• Down 24-21 and facing match point, the Huskies tied the third set at 24-24 thanks to timely kills by Zimmer and Johnson and an ace by the former. Fitchburg State went up by a point before the Huskies retook the lead at 26-25. Each team then had a kill to bring the score to 27-26 before another Falcons kill tied the score at 27. The Huskies avoided the sweep with a kill by Murillo and a Castonguay ace to win the set 29-27.
• Southern Maine controlled the fourth set to even the match at two sets apiece with a 25-15 win. Sophomore Anyelis Hernandez (Lawrence, Mass.) and Johnson combined for seven of the Huskies' 14 kills.
• Stephanie Sardella and Sariah Dyer powered the Falcons to a 15-5 win in the fifth set to give their team a 3-2 win. Sardella had four kills and Dyer added three in the set. Dyer also had an ace to end the match.

 
Inside The Stats:

• Johnson, Zimmer and Dyer each had 11 kills to tie for the most in the match. Murillo was the only other player to reach double figures with 10.
• Castonguay's 28 digs led all players and was one of five Huskies to reach double figures. Johnson recorded 27, sophomore Amelia Beatty (Rochester, N.H./ Spaulding) had a career-best 14, Whittaker added 12 and Begishe had 10.
• Sardella paced the Falcons in digs with 26 followed by Samantha Mirra with 21. Fitchburg State also had 16 digs from Jessica Greco and 13 from Madison Keohane. Keohane also had 13 assists.
• Begishe had a game-leading 40 assists followed by Mia Vesta with 21.
• Fitchburg led 11-6 in total blocks led by Dyer with two solo blocks and five block assists. Zimmer had a solo block and three block assists for the Huskies.

 
 
Up Next:
The Huskies will host Bates College on Wednesday night at 6:00 pm.