Volleyball Falls in Straight Sets to Eastern Nazarene

BOSTON – Suffolk volleyball dropped a 3-0 non-conference contest to Eastern Nazarene Saturday afternoon at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court. The setback came via set scores 25-21, 25-23 and 25-22.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 0 | Eastern Nazarene 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (5-6) | Eastern Nazarene (6-5) 

SET ONE RECAP (25-21, EASTERN NAZARENE)

• In back-and-forth action, the Lions held a touch of momentum here and there, but nearly team managed to gain a true upper hand throughout. 
• With things even at 20-all, McKenna Keowen's kill helped Suffolk take the lead. 
• Eastern Nazarene took control from there as the visitors scored the final five points to take the set away from the hosts.  

SET TWO RECAP (25-23, EASTERN NAZARENE)

• Suffolk found itself in a 5-1 hole early that forced a quick timeout by Scott Blanchard. 
• The huddle did not help and the Rams trailed, 10-4. 
• The blue-and-gold slowly trimmed away at the deficit and used a 6-1 spurt to slice the gap to one, 18-17. That stretch featured aces from Jayla Martinez and Morgan Kelsey and a kill by Keowen. 
• Eastern Nazarene used a timeout of its own to settled down, but the break helped the Rams instead as Keowen logged a monster kill in the next possession to equalize the stanza at 18-18. 
• The teams traded points from there. The action tied twice more with the advantage switching on two occasions as well. 
• First, Alina Nowakowski's ace put Suffolk ahead, 21-20.
• Then, out of a 23-23 tie, the Lions capitalized on an attack error by McKeown to grab the lead for the final time. 

SET THREE RECAP (25-22, EASTERN NAZARENE)

• A slow start from Suffolk allowed Eastern Nazarene to build a 17-8 advantage. 
• The Rams rallied out of a timeout with four points in a row to pull within five. 
• An Eastern Nazarene timeout did not slow up the blue-and-gold, who continued its rally with another four answered to make it a one-point set, 17-16, and force the Lions to use their second timeout of the frame. 
• Matters remained close from there with the score leveling twice the final time at 22. 
• Eastern Nazarene managed to take care of the business from there with three straight scores with the set and match point coming on a block by Anna Burbach and Piper Bolner.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Keowen was on the verge of a double-double with 13 kills and nine digs to her credit. 
• Julia Leavey pitched in five kills to Suffolk's 32-kill offense. 
• Nowakowski provided four kills and three blocks. 
• Harmony Johnson and Martinez set up Suffolk's offense with 15 assists and 11 assists, respectively. The former had six digs, while the latter chipped in three digs. 
• Kenzley Bell notched 15 digs and three helpers. 
• Kelsey added 12 digs and five aces.  

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk's Saturday showdown was a Volley for a Cure benefitting the Jimmy Fund. Fans can still donate to the cause here.  

POST-MATCH PIC
  

COMING UP
Suffolk wraps up a three-match homestay Tuesday, Sept. 21 when it pulls the curtain back on its Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) era against Roger Williams. The Rams and Hawks are scheduled to tangle at 7 p.m. at Smith Court.