DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Powered by an outstanding effort on the serve, including nine service aces, and a pair of career milestones, the UMass Dartmouth women's volleyball team defeated Vermont State University Castleton, 3-0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-8) in Little East Conference action on Saturday morning. The Corsairs improve to 19-5 overall and 6-0 in conference play, while the Spartans are now 9-12 and 0-6 in the LEC.
Senior middle blocker
Monika Kristjansdottir notched three service aces, adding three block assists, three kills and three digs. Sophomore setter
Skye Peters also had three service aces, adding 21 assists and four digs. Among her 21 assists include the 1,000th of her career. Junior defensive specialist
Emily Pogorelec had two aces with eight digs.
Rookie right side
Olivia Seutter led all players with 15 kills, recording just one error on 25 swings for a .560 hitting percentage. She added a block assist and a dig. Senior outside hitter and captain
Kate Wade notched 12 kills, adding nine digs on the afternoon. With her effort on digs, Wade eclipsed 1,000 in her career.
It was a tight start to the match as the two teams found themselves locked at 6-all on a kill from VTSU's Vanessa LeBrun. A strike from Madison Sheehan put the Spartans up 7-6, but a 4-0 run saw the Corsairs push back into the lead, including an ace from Pogorelec. The home team moved the score to 14-8 on another run, before an 8-0 push with three kills from Wade and strikes from Seutter and Kristjansdottir made it a 22-9 advantage.
The Spartans were able to grab a couple points back, but an error on the visitors, coupled with a kill from senior opposite and captain
Chelsea Sanker saw the Corsairs win the opening frame.
Second set action saw the Corsairs open a 10-1 advantage. A kill from Hailey Martinovich helped pull the Spartans to within 13-5, but a 3-0 run from the Corsairs – including two kills from Sanker – saw the home team open a 16-5 lead. Kills from Seutter, Wade and Sanker quickly followed down the stretch and a strike from sophomore outside hitter
Allison Pate sealed the middle set win for the home team.
In the final set of action, UMass Dartmouth opened with the 5-0 advantage, including two aces from Peters. A 9-0 run, which saw all three of Kristjansdottir's aces, gave the Corsairs a 15-2 lead. VTSU Castleton added three points, including kills from Nicolette Vaughn and Alondra Rojas, but four straight points, including an ace from Pogorelec concluded the match.
The Corsairs owned a 39-19 advantage in kills for the match, adding a 43-35 margin in digs as well. The home team also had a 10-2 clip in blocks and were 9-0 in aces.
UMass Dartmouth is now idle until Saturday, November 2 when it travels to Eastern Connecticut State for tri-match action. The Corsairs will face the host Warriors in LEC action at 12pm, followed by a 2pm match against Bay Path.
