DANBURY, Conn. - Senior
Julia Stoliker (Red Hook, N.Y.) paced the Western Connecticut State University women's volleyball team with six kills, a team-high 13 digs, an ace and a block for 8.0 points on Saturday afternoon, but Keene State swept the Wolves, 25-23, 25-19, 25-16, in a Little East Conference and regular season finale at Stephen Feldman Arena. Sophomore
Hallie Robillard (Middletown, Conn.) and graduate student
Taylor Thompson (West Point, N.Y.) chipped in with seven kills apiece.
WestConn stayed close in the first set. Keene State led 16-11 before sophomore Teagan White (Goffstown, N.H.) went on a serving run. The hosts scored seven straight points, including aces by White on back-to-back points, to take an 18-16 lead. The set was tied at 21, 22 and 23 before Keene State got set point on a Marina Miller kill. Ava Harkins then served an ace to end the set at 25-23.
Keene State pulled away in the second set after a tie at 7-7. The Owls scored six of the next eight points. WestConn got within two on Robillard's ace and kill, but the visitors closed it out 25-19.
The third set got away from WestConn quickly. Bella Bacon served five straight Keene State points, including two attack errors to turn a 10-7 score into a 15-7 lead. Keene State went up 21-10 before junior Arianna LaPointe (Boynton Beach, Fla.) served an ace in a late 3-0 run that made it 23-14. Keene State finished the set 25-16.
LaPointe dished out 19 assists and earned seven digs, while freshman Kayla Proscia (Holbrook, N.Y.) had two blocks. White had two aces, and rookie Kyra Courtemanche (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.) drilled two aces.
Keene State hit .241 to WestConn's .099, with 42 kills to 28. The Owls had a 9-4 edge in blocks and a 59-43 edge in digs. Sarah Bartels notched 11 kills and 12.5 points for the Owls, while Miller had 10 kills, four blocks, 12 digs and 12.0 points. Aiya Dottin hit .625 with five blocks, and Alexis Small handed out 24 assists. Shaunah Bracken finished with 18 digs.
WestConn concluded the campaign at 5-19 overall and 1-7 in Little East Conference play. Keene State improved to 16-9 and 6-2 and moved on to the LEC Postseason tournament.
