Keene State’s Volleyball team wins against conference opponent in double header as they push towards LEC championship play.
This past Saturday, Oct. 26, the Keene State volleyball team headed to Gorham, Main to compete in a tri-match where the Owls would play two opponents. Their first match was against familiar LEC opponent USM (University of Southern Maine).
Keene State brought intensity with their first set by going on an 8-3 run before closing it with a 25-16 win. Senior Stephanie Olah and junior Gigi Stake dominated to close the first set with several kills from each.
The Owls had to overcome an aggressive push from USM at the start of the second set before a 13-2 streak by the Owls put them in a comfortable lead. That momentum swing was enough to carry Keene State to a win in the second set, putting them at 2-0 for the match.
As the third set began the Keene State Volleyball team continued with their scoring onslaught. USM remained within a few before first-year Marina Miller stepped up for several kills to push the Owls out in front. KSC’s dominance throughout led them to a 3-0 sweep over the LEC opponent, an important victory in the Owls’ quest for conference playoffs.
Following the Keene State sweep, the Owls moved on to their second match of the day against Maine Maritime.
The first set of the match consisted of back and forth scoring with both teams going on their own runs. A kill by sophomore Alexis Small tied the set at 24 but Maine Maritime came away with the win to begin the match.
Keene State’s relentlessness wore off during the second set as Maine Maritime’s pressure was difficult to match. A few 5-0 runs by the Owls’ opposition kept Keene State far from competing in the second set as they went down 2-0 in the match.
A final effort to bring the match closer was evident by the Owls in the third set as it remained close to start. The consistent Maritime pressure continued into the third set as an 8-0 was enough to put Keene State away with a 3-0 loss.
The Keene State Volleyball team will play on Saturday, Nov. 2, and host Rhode Island College as they battle for a spot in the LEC playoffs.
Jacob Enscoe can be contacted at
jenscoe@kscequinox.com
