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It took six matches, but the University of Maine volleyball team finally picked up its first America East Conference win.
The Black Bears defeated University of Stony Brook 3-0 (30-22, 30-18, 30-16) Saturday behind 11 kills apiece from first-year players Leah Guidinger and Kaili Jordan and sophomore setter Carmen Gabriel.
UMaine improved to 7-17 overall and 1-5 in the conference with the victory. Gabriel led her team in assists with 30 and posted a match-high 15 digs. Sophomore Marina Ivankovic chipped in with 14 digs and the Black Bear team had a .340 hitting percentage, committing just 13 attack errors while hammering out 49 kills.
Stony Brook fell to 3-3 in America East play and 17-10 overall.
UMaine was in Connecticut Friday and dropped a five-game match to the University of Hartford 3-2 (25-30, 33-35, 30-21, 30-21, 13-15).
Hartford jumped out early on the Black Bears by winning the first two games. UMaine clawed back and took games three and four, setting up a fifth-game tiebreaker. The race to 15 in game five was close the entire way, but the Hawks held off the Black Bears’ surge to improve their record to 3-3 in the conference and 13-10 overall.
Jordan led UMaine in kills with 17 and Gabriel was right behind with 15 and 47 assists. Guidinger added 10 kills and sophomore Lori Maloney posted nine.
Ivankovic again led the Black Bears defensively with 10 digs, and UMaine’s blocking game was in top form as the team recorded 16.5 blocks. But it wasn’t enough to defeat Hartford, who received a match-high 23 kills from Stephanie Volckers, last season’s America East Rookie of the Year.
The Black Bears return to action next weekend on the road, with stops at Binghamton University and University of Albany Friday and Saturday, respectively.
