Seahawks down Warriors; improve to 6-4

WILLIMANTIC, CONN. -  Salve Regina University's top four offensive players combined for 43 kills as the Seahawks bounced back from a two-point opening-set loss to trim Eastern Connecticut State University in four sets, 28-30, 25-23, 25-17, 25-23 and improve to 6-4 on the season.

After the teams split two-point decisions, Salve Regina took control early in the third set by scoring three straight points to break the sixth and final tie. Senior Jennifer Duggan (Merrimack, N.H.) picked up a pair of kills and 6-foot-1 inch Emily Lipinski (Hampden, Mass.) tallied another to keep the Seahawks in front as Eastern was unable to get closer the rest of the way.

In the final set, neither team led by more than three points until the Seahawks used a run of eight straight points to surge into a five-point, 23-17 lead.  Lipinski had two kills and Duggan added one of her own in that run. Trailing by six, Eastern ripped off five points of its own to cut the gap to one on two service aces from senior Allie Henry (Middletown, Conn.) and two kills from first-year sophomore Hannah Bryant (Avon, Conn.) before the Seahawks closed out the win.

Duggan led Salve Regina with 14 kills, senior Tara Kuck (Huntington, N.Y.) added 11 and senior Erin McGloin (West Islip, N.Y.) and Lipinski recorded nine each, with Lipinsky attacking at .444. Senior setter Taylor Violet (Tiverton, R.I.) collected 37 assists; Kuck 24 digs while senior libero Dianna Tauro (Melrose, Mass.) 16. McGloin had five of her team's seven blocks.

Eastern got 19 kills and a .265 attack percentage from sophomore Adrianna Mihalek (Woodbury, Conn.), who amassed a career-high total of kills in a four-set match to go along with 11 digs. Henry totaled 22 assists, seven digs and four service aces and committed only one service error on 23 tries. Junior libero Allie Luppi (Tewksbury, Mass.) had 21 digs and a .963 reception percentage on 27 attempts. Junior Bry Kelly (Dunbarton, N.H.) had five kills, four block assists and four digs and sophomore Amanda Tyler (Longmeadow, Mass.) had five kills, 16 serves with just one error, a .947 reception percentage on 19 attempts, and seven digs.

Salve Regina next plays UMass Boston at home in Newport, R.I. on September 17 at 7 p.m.