WestConn advances to LEC semifinals with 3-0 win over Eastern Connecticut
DANBURY, CT (Nov. 3) — The Western Connecticut State University volleyball team got a balanced front-line attack from senior Becca Stein (Kingston, NY), junior Natalie Crosby (East Haven, CT), and freshman Paxton Thornton (Sharon, CT) to defeat Eastern Connecticut 3-0 Tuesday night at Feldman Arena and advance to the semifinals of this year’s Little East Conference tournament.
After Eastern Connecticut took an early 2-1 lead, Crosby stepped to the service line and led the Colonials on a five-point run, highlighted by two kills each from Stein and Thornton. WestConn extended the advantage to 13-5, prompting a timeout by Eastern Connecticut. The Warriors then went on a five-point run of their own to draw within 13-10, but a WestConn timeout changed the momentum making the lead 15-10. With the score 21-15, Thornton and junior Daniel Spangler (Simi Valley, CA) blocked an Eastern kill attempt for a side-out. Junior Sammie Hathaway (Milford, CT) served the Colonials to game-point at 24-15, before a side-out by the Warriors delayed the WestConn celebration. With a second chance at game-point, Thornton blasted a kill down the line to give WestConn game one, 25-16.
Game two followed a similar script to game one, with WestConn taking leads of 6-2 and 13-5 behind strong serving efforts from sophomore Michelle Hearns (Bedford Hills, NY) and sophomore Kelley Collins (Massapequa, NY). After an ace by Hearns gave the Colonials a 19-9 lead, the outcome of game two was secured and the Colonials cruised to a 25-15 win.
In game three the Warriors fought back, refusing to let WestConn take the early leads it had enjoyed in games one and two. Serving an ace to draw within one at 8-7 and again to close the gap to two at 15-13, the Warriors drew even with the Colonials at 18-18. A block by Stein gave WestConn a side-out and a 19-18 advantage that quickly turned into a 22-18 lead after kills by Spangler and Thornton. Eastern Connecticut again fought back to pull within two at 23-21 and forced a side-out to save one match point and a 24-22 score, but when Michelle Hearns blasted a cross-court kill through the Eastern defense, WestConn moved into the tournament semifinals with a 25-22 victory in game three and a sweep of the three-game match.
With the win, WestConn’s season record now stands at 26-7, while Eastern Connecticut concludes the 2009 season at 12-18. The semifinal and championship round of this year’s LEC tournament will be hosted by #1 seed UMass Boston on Friday and Saturday, November 6th and 7th. The #3 seeded Colonials face #2 Plymouth State at 6:00pm Friday, while top seeded UMass Boston will face #5 seed Rhode Island College in the other semifinal. Friday’s winners square off on Saturday for the tournament championship.
WestConn - 25 25 25 - 3
Eastern Conn. - 16 15 22 - 0
WCSU Highlights
Becca Stein – 6 kills, 3 blocks
Natalie Crosby – 12 kills
Paxton Thornton – 8 kills
Sammie Hathaway – 28 assists, 9 digs
Michelle Hearns – 4 aces
Eastern Conn. Highlights
Kristianna Ibsen – 7 kills, 3 blocks
Britt Carrier – 4 kills, 16 assists
Samantha Slonski – 7 kills, 9 digs
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