HENNIKER, N.H. – The NEC women's volleyball team has won each of their last nine sets, sweeping three straight opponents after taking down the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in straight sets on Tuesday evening.
The three set victory (25-19, 25-19, 25-16) saw the Trailblazers fail to eclipse 20 points in any set as the Pilgrims kept them at arm's length throughout the night. NEC held a sizable advantage in kills, 46 to 27, hitting percentage, .311 to .143, and blocks, 7 to 2.
Senior Maeve Amarosa (Madbury, N.H.) led all players with 11 kills; Junior LisaRaye Placencio (Maricopa, Ariz.) added 10 kills as the Pilgrims controlled the net. Amarosa's 12.0 points were matched only by senior Tyra Kelly (Fresno, Calif.) who had six kills and three total blocks.
The two teams were separated by just one point midway through the first set, NEC leading 16-15, before the 'Grims went on a 9-4 run to claim the set. Kelly dominated with four kills amidst the Pilgrim run, while sophomore Maddy Rollinson (Hamden, Conn.) had four of her team-high 18 assists.
Placencio took things over with seven kills in the first half of set number two. Similar to the first set, the two teams were deadlocked at 16-16 before a late 9-3 Pilgrim run, fueled by three kills from sophomore Teagan Saner (Plains, Mont.), created separation and a 2-0 set lead.
The Pilgrims closed out the third set on a 13-6 run, including the final four points of the set, to secure the 3-0 sweep of the Trailblazers. Graduate Alexandra Seijas-Quea (Fort Myers, Fla.) ended the night with 15 assists and moves into second place in program history with 1,127 career assists. She now sits just 12 assists shy of her second school record of the short season.
The Pilgrims continue their homestand with a Saturday tri-match on September 19th, hosting GNAC opponent Regis College and Massachusetts Maritime with action beginning at 11:00 AM.
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