MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME VOLLEYBALL

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Clean Harbors Athletic Center, Buzzards Bay, Mass.

GAME #1 FINAL:          WESTFIELD STATE 3, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 0

                                    (Game Scores:  25-8, 25-10, 25-12)

GAME #2 FINAL:          WESTFIELD STATE 3, MASSACHUSETTS MARITIME 0

                                    (Game Scores:  25-12, 25-20, 25-15)

BUZZARDS BAY, Mass. --  Sophomore Natasha Belardo (Springfield, Mass.) registered 26 kills, 14 digs and seven service aces to lead Westfield State to a sweep of a college volleyball doubleheader from Massachusetts Maritime by identical 3-0 finals Saturday afternoon at the Clean Harbors Athletic Center.

Belardo recorded 11 kills and eight digs in the visiting Owls’ (9-12, 4-1 MASCAC) opening 25-8, 25-10, 25-12 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference triumph, while junior Karolyn Higgins (Billerica, Mass.) added seven kills, three digs and a pair of service aces in the win.  Freshman Lynn Shattuck (Townsend, Mass.) chipped in with 11 digs and six kills in the lid-lifter for Westfield State, which received 19 set assists and four kills from senior Brigid Murray (Norfolk, Mass.), 17 digs from junior Lizzie Taylor (Medfield, Mass.) and eight digs from senior Tiara Vaughn (East Falmouth, Mass.).

Freshman Kaylee Tolman (East Sandwich, Mass.) posted 10 digs and five kills in the opening setback for the host Buccaneers (3-19, 1-4 MASCAC), who received four kills each and a combined eight digs from senior Kaleigh Hoffman (Noblesville, Ind.) and freshman Maddie Coughlin (Monroe, Conn.).  Sophomore Michelle Sheehan (Attleboro, Mass.) collected 12 set assists and six digs in the first contest for Massachusetts Maritime, which received 18 digs from sophomore Tina Ruggeri (Bourne, Mass.) and a pair of kills from freshman Courtney Toomey (Norton, Mass.).

Belardo notched 15 kills, seven service aces and six digs in a 25-12, 25-20, 25-15 non-league nightcap victory for the Owls, who received six kills and six digs from Shattuck.  Junior Alyssa Ouellette (Deerfield, Mass.) chipped in with five kills in the second match for Westfield State, which received four kills from Higgins and 16 digs from Taylor.  Sophomore Ally Rega (Chelmsford, Mass.) recorded a double-double effort of 29 set assists and 10 digs for the visitors, who received six digs from sophomore Micaela Murray (Norfolk, Mass.).

Tolman led the way with nine kills, seven digs and a pair of service aces in the second match setback for the Buccaneers, who received eight digs and four kills from Hoffman.  Coughlin collected 14 set assists, five digs and a pair of service aces for Massachusetts Maritime, which received 17 digs from Ruggeri as well as two kills each from sophomore Meghan Sullivan (Hanover, Mass.) and freshman Casey Sullivan (Sagamore Beach, Mass.).

Massachusetts Maritime hosts Framingham State in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference outing on Thursday evening at the Clean Harbors Athletic Center beginning at 7:00 p.m., while Westfield State entertains Salem State in a MASCAC match on Wednesday evening in Westfield, Mass. that also begins at 7:00 p.m.