Women’s Volleyball Cruises To 3-0 Victory Over UNE

BIDDEFORD, Maine – Behind 14 kills (.571 hitting percentage) from junior middle blocker Hayley Knapp (Valencia, Calif.), the Endicott women's volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 victory (28-26, 25-12, 25-15) over the University of New England (UNE) on Wednesday night at the Harold Alfond Forum.

Endicott hit over .230 in every set, including a match-high .387 clip in the final set, to clinch a crucial CCC win over the Nor'easters. The Gulls were only challenged in the first set as UNE held a 26-25 advantage down the stretch, but a timeout called by the coaching staff sparked three straight points in Endicott's favor and the Blue and Green never looked back. The Nor'easters gave up the lead on a service error immediately after the timeout, while back-to-back block assists – which both included Knapp – gave Endicott all the momentum it needed moving forward.

Sophomore outside Lauren Sheehan (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) added ten kills on 22 swings (.273 hitting percentage) to fuel the offense, while senior opposite Lexi Watts (Rancho Bernardo, Calif.), and junior middle Kelli Sugrue (Tewksbury, Mass.) also contributed six kills apiece to highlight Endicott's attack.

Freshman setter Mareena Clotfelter (Poulsbo, Wash.) facilitated the offense with a career-high 42 assists to go along with three kills, four service aces, and seven digs. Sophomore libero Cydney Pierce (Carpinteria, Calif.) paced the defense with a team-high 17 digs.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Endicott is now 21-3 in the all-times series against UNE, which dates back to 1994.
• The Gulls have won the last four matches versus the Nor'easters, and also claimed 17 straight victories form October 4, 1999 to September 20, 2011 to highlight the all-time series.
• Clotfelter has dished out 20 or more assists in six matches this season.
• Pierce now has registered 10 or more digs in 10 consecutive matches.
• Endicott tallied 12 block assists in tonight's win, including six from Knapp.

FOR THE FOES

• Junior middle hitter Grayson Szczepaniak (Lakewood, Ohio) paced the hosts with a team-high ten putaways (.261 hitting percentage). 
• Sophomore Courtney Lambrese (Cranston, R.I.) notched eight kills, five digs, and three block assists.
• Brooke Gibbons (Miami, Fla.) ran the offense with 24 assists. She has now set up 10 or more kills in five straight matches despite the loss. Gibbons also has compiled 10 or more assists in eight matches this season.
• Brittany Morrison (Rosemount, Minn.) had 16 digs and two service aces.

WHAT'S NEXT

Endicott (17-8, 3-2 CCC) hosts Western New England University (WNEU) and Colby College in a tri-match this coming Saturday. The Gulls will play WNEU at 12 p.m. and Colby at 4 p.m. UNE (6-12, 3-3 CCC) travels to Newport, R.I. on Saturday to take on Salve Regina University in a CCC matchup at 1 p.m. 

For the latest on Endicott Athletics, follow the Gulls on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.