Western New England Overcomes Tough Start to Earn 3-1 Win at Keene State

Chiodini leads Golden Bears with 14 kills, season-high 31 digs and three blocks

KEENE, N.H. (October 27, 2016) – The Western New England University volleyball team overcame a tough opening set loss to earn a 3-1 (24-26, 25-21, 25-19, 25-23) victory over Keene State College this evening in non-conference action at Spaulding Gym.

Top Performers
• Junior outside hitter Emmaline Chiodini (St. Louis, Mo.) continued her strong play of late with another double-double performance, as she matched her season-high with 14 kills while also recording a season-best 31 digs. Chiodini added three block assists and two aces, finishing with a team-high 17.5 points.
• Senior setter Jenna Leuck (Dumont, N.J.) compiled 40 assists, 17 digs and three kills.
• Junior middle hitter Carly Skibinski (Milford, N.J.) chipped in with ten kills, four digs, two blocks and one ace.

• Junior outside hitter Rachel Lamica (Malone, N.Y.) led the Keene State offense with 17 kills and also contributed defensively with 12 digs.

Match Review
• The early stages of the opening set featured a 7-0 run for the Golden Bears and a 6-0 run for Keene State, but after that point neither team was able to establish a lead larger than two points. After a kill by Western New England freshman Cassandra Holmes (Ellington, Conn.) tied the score at 24, the Owls closed out the set with consecutive kills from senior outside hitter Brooke Hatanaka (Acton, Mass.) and junior middle blocker Courtney Collins (Litchfield, N.H.).
• Keene State scored the first four points of the second set, but Western New England rallied to tie the score at 7 on a kill by Skibinski before pulling ahead for good on an ace by junior Torie Howdeshell (Fairbanks, Alaska). The Golden Bears led by as much as six before settling for a 25-21 win to even the match.
• Western New England claimed a lead early in the third set and slowly pulled away from there, extending the lead to six (21-15) late in the frame after two straight kills by Leuck. The Golden Bears won the set by the same margin and took a 2-1 lead in the match.
• Keene State appeared poised to force a fifth set, as the Owls raced out to a commanding 18-9 advantage in the fourth frame. Western New England roared back with a 15-5 run, however, to take a 24-23 lead on a kill by junior libero Brianna Roath (Jackson, N.J.). An Owl attack error capped the rally as the Golden Bears completed the 3-1 triumph.

Notes
• Western New England has won three straight matches since suffering a 3-2 setback to Endicott on October 19.
• The Golden Bears are an impressive 8-3 in road contests this season.
• Leuck reached the 40-assist mark for the fourth time in the last eight matches and fifth time overall this season.
• Chiodini registered her second consecutive double-double, fifth in the last six matches, and sixth overall this season. She has also recorded 10+ digs in six straight contests and 12 times during the 2016 campaign.

Up Next
Western New England (18-9, 6-2 CCC) wraps up its regular season on Saturday afternoon with a senior day contest against Gordon at the Alumni Healthful Living Center. Keene State (16-12, 4-2 LEC) will also close out its regular season campaign on Saturday, as the Owls host Eastern Connecticut State and Maine Maritime for a tri-match.