Seahawks honor seniors with straight-set win

NEWPORT, R.I. – Senior Clare Adams (New Concord, Ohio) led the Salve Regina women's volleyball team to a straight-set (25-19, 25-18, 32-30) win over University of New England in Commonwealth Coast Conference action Saturday afternoon, as the Seahawks celebrated their senior day. 

Adams, the all-time kill leader for the Seahawks, picked up 14 kills on the day and now has 945 for her career. Fellow senior Jill Diffendaffer (Centennial, Colo.) had two kills, two solo blocks and two blocking assists on the day.

With the victory, Salve Regina improved to 23-3 on the year and 6-1 in the CCC while the Nor'easters slip to 13-8 overall with a 4-2 CCC slate. 

The Nor'easters took a 6-4 lead in the first set before sophomore Emily Lipinski (Hampden, Mass.) served the Seahawks to a 9-6 lead, one which they would not surrender in the set. With the Seahawks holding a four-point lead, Adams served Salve Regina to a 23-16 lead, highlighted by kills from junior Jennifer Duggan (Merrimack, N.H.) and Adams. Duggan put the game away with her second kill of the set. 

With the score knotted at 13-13, Adams highlighted a four-point run with a kill and a service ace to give Salve Regina a 17-13 lead. Duggan served three straight service aces to finish out the set, 25-18, for Salve Regina. 

The Nor'easters would not go quietly, however, in the third set. Salve Regina earned its first match-point of the afternoon before sophomore Jalene Kanayurak (Barrow, Alaska) served four-straight points, highlighted by two service aces, to give the Nor'easters a 25-24 lead. Adams ended UNE's run with her 14^th kill of the match to tie the set at 25-25. The Nor'easters and Seahawks traded five match points before Duggan picked up her 10^th kill of the set to tie the game at 30-30 and get junior Dianna Tauro (Melrose, Mass.) back to the service line. The Seahawks forced two Nor'easter attack errors to finish off the set and match, 32-30. 

Adams led all players with 14 kills while junior Taylor Violet (Tiverton, R.I.) handed out a match-high 30 assists and led the Seahawks with 14 digs. 

Senior Angie Brunette (North Andover, Mass.) paced the Nor'easter offense with nine kills, including four in the back-and-fourth battle to end the third set. Senior Maria Kuehl (Middletown, N.H.) handed out 28 assists while senior Krista Adie (Tyngsboro, Mass.) led all players with 17 digs. 

The Nor'easters return to action when they travel to Boston, Mass. to face CCC opponent, Wentworth on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Seahawks return to the court when they host Western New England in a CCC tilt at 7 p.m. at Rodgers Recreation Center Tuesday, Oct. 29.