The Beacons were scorching hot at the tail end of the regular season, and amidst a six-game winning streak, they looked for a seventh win on Nov. 6 against the New England College Pilgrims.
The Pilgrims were in a rough patch with a 10-16 record, losing four out of their last five. However, they had fared well at home with a solid 5-3 record as the Beacons traveled to their home court in Henniker, New Hampshire.
Set one firmly belonged to the Beacons, as they jumped to a 5-0 lead early and didn’t let up. UMass Boston led by as many as 13 and cruised along, winning 25-11. Set two was a similar story: the Beacons took hold 8-2 right out of the gate and again maintained their well-earned momentum, and the Pilgrims couldn’t keep the pace. UMass Boston again cruised, winning 25-17. The Beacons were on the verge of their 11th sweep of the year and looked to finish strong, going into set three.
New England College was desperate and soared to a 7-2 lead early in the third set. Three Pilgrim attack errors and a kill by junior Lauren Westlund got UMass Boston within three points. The Pilgrims still held the lead until a 7-0 run started by Beacons outside hitter Kesmyn Alves gave them the late 18-15 lead.
New England College battled back to keep it close, but it just wasn’t enough, and UMass Boston took the set 25-20 for their seventh consecutive win and their 11th sweep of the year. Westlund led the match with 13 kills and three blocks.
The Beacons wrapped up the regular season on Nov. 9 at home. They welcomed a conference rival in the Eastern Connecticut State Warriors to Beaconville for their senior night. Dylan Westberger, Katie Rennie, Toni Guerra and Jade Hernandez were among the seniors who were honored as UMass Boston looked to close out the regular season with an eighth straight win.
The Warriors began set one strong, setting the tone with an early 5-0 run to take the lead 7-4, but not soon after, the Beacons battled back, tying the match at eight apiece. Both squads traded significant runs, creating a tug-of-war for the lead. UMass Boston was able to gain some ground late, skyrocketing to a 6-0 and 22-17 lead, holding on to a tight 25-21 win.
In set two, the Beacons started off hot with a 13-9 lead in an instant, but the Warriors countered with a 7-1 run to take the lead 18-17. Soon the set was tied at 21, and the momentum belonged to Eastern Connecticut State as they broke away with the 25-22 win. Both teams were neck and neck; UMass Boston had the upper hand in total points by a small margin, 47-46.
Set three was all UMass Boston, and they showed their best to the Warriors with an astounding 25-15 win. Eastern Connecticut State brought the heat in set four, but it wasn’t nearly enough. The Beacons secured their eighth straight win, hitching a ride as the third seed in the LEC tournament.
This article appeared in print on Page 1 of Vol. LVIII Issue VII, published Nov. 18, 2024.
