BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. – The University of Southern Maine women's volleyball team defeated Nichols College and Massachusetts Maritime Academy in straight sets on Saturday to earn a pair of non-conference wins. Sophomore Ella Koehler (Pickerington, Ohio/Fairfield Christian Academy) recorded a total of 21 kills, three aces and two block assists of 25 points between the two matches.
 
Junior Amelia Beatty (Rochester, N.H./Spaulding) led the team in digs in both matches with a career-high 20 against Mass. Maritime and 12 against Nichols. Beatty also racked up 10 assists and seven aces on the day. Freshman Reese Helisek (Halifax, Mass./Silver Lake Regional) was another standout performer with 44 assists on the day in addition to 21 digs and six kills. Freshman Lizzy Harbester (Plympton, Mass./Silver Lake Regional) and Mariah Eaton (West Yarmouth, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth Regional) and junior Junior Kylee Eubanks-Hemme (Rosamond, Cali.) also each had double-digit points in one of the two matches. Harbester had 11 points on 10 kills and an ace in the win over Mass. Maritime, while Eaton had five kills, four aces and two block assists in the Nichols match. Eubanks-Hemme (Rosamond, Cali.) recorded eight kills, three aces and a block assist against Mass. Maritime.
 
 
Game 1 vs. Nichols
The Records:
Nichols: 3-7
Southern Maine: 2-6
 
 
Series History:
The only other time that Southern Maine and Nichols have played each other was on September 21, 2017. The Huskies took that match in straight sets.
 
How It Happened:

• The Huskies used a 4-0 run to go ahead 7-4 and held the lead for the remainder of the set for a 25-15 win. The set was closed on with another 4-0 run by the Huskies.
• Southern Maine never trailed in the second set and cruised to a 25-11 win to go ahead two sets to none. The Huskies had six aces in the set. Harbester and Beatty each had back-to-back-to-back aces during one of their turns serving with Beatty's trio of aces closing out the set.
• The Huskies won the third set 25-14 to complete the sweep.

 
Inside The Stats:

• Beatty accounted for five of Southern Maine's 14 aces. Harbester and Eaton each had four, a number that matched Nichols' team total.
• Beatty's 12 digs match her career-high for a three-set match. Eubanks-Hemme reached double figures in the digs for the first time in her USM career with 11.

 
 
Game 2 vs. Mass. Maritime
The Records:
Southern Maine: 3-6
Mass. Maritime: 2-6
 
Series History:
The Huskies are 8-0 all-time against Mass. Maritime. The last time that the two teams played was a 3-0 win for the Huskies on October 2, 2021.
 
How It Happened:

• The Huskies pulled away from an 11-11 tie with an 11-1 run that featured two aces by Koehler, one by Beatty, and two kills from Harbester. The Huskies took the set 25-17.
• The teams remained within two points of each other for most of the second set before a 4-0 run helped the Huskies extend their lead 21-16 on their way to a 25-19 win. The team had 15 kills in the set.
• Mass. Maritime came out strong in the third set with a 6-0 run after giving up the first point to the Huskies. The Huskies were able to cut the lead to a point at 15-14 before the Buccaneers were able to get to set point at 24-22. However, the Huskies ended the Buccaneers' bid to extend the match by scoring the final four points to complete the sweep with a 26-24 win. Eubanks-Hemme had two kills in the stretch.

 
Inside The Stats:

• Helisek led all players in assists with a career-high 25. Her 14 digs also match her career high and are her new best for a three-set match.

 
Up Next:
The next match for the Huskies will be a road contest at Suffolk University on Thursday at 7:00 pm.