Keene State Volleyball was swept by the Beacons of the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass Boston) on Oct. 10, falling 3-0. The Little East Conference (LEC) match followed the Owls’ 3-1 win over perennial rivals Plymouth State University. The Beacons arrived in Keene on a three-game winning streak, including two wins against LEC opponents Southern Maine and Rhode Island College.
The first set raised red flags for the Owls when they went down 10-6 to start the set. Keene State caught up and made it 11-10, with an ace and kill from junior outside hitter Marina Miller. The Owls tried to fight back, but the Beacons capitalized on their lead and took the first set 25-19.
The second set started with an Owls lead, their first of the game. Keene State came out 4-0, with three kills and an ace from first-year outside hitter Bella Bacon. The Owls compounded their lead to 9-2, but UMass Boston struck back with four straight points to make it 9-6. Soon after, the Beacons struck back and took nine straight points to lead the set 16-11. The Owls attempted to mount a counterattack, but lost the set 25-20.
The third set began with a 5-1 Owls lead. The lead was quickly smothered by UMass Boston, who caught up to make it 5-5. After a brief resurgence from the Owls, the Beacons ran the score up to make it 16-11, and then 19-13. The Beacons closed out the sweep with a 25-18 victory for the three-set win.
The 3-0 loss was the first sweep Keene State endured since it lost by the same score to Hartwick in the Division III ECAC championship last season. The Owls had a hitting percentage of .055, the lowest of the season so far. The match was only the second home loss for Keene State, bringing the Owls to 5-2 at home. The loss is the Owls’ 28th against UMass Boston since the two schools began play in 1998, making the series 14-28.
The loss brings Keene State to 7-8 overall and 2-2 in LEC play. The Owls hit the road Saturday, Oct. 17 to play two matches against the University of Southern Maine and the University of Maine Fort Kent in a doubleheader.
Frank LeBlanc can be contacted at
fleblanc@kscequinox.com
