Keowen Records 1000th Kill, Volleyball Stops USM, 3-1

GORHAM, Maine – McKenna Keowen set another Rams' record as the first-ever player to produce 1,000 kills in Suffolk volleyball's 3-1 triumph over southern Maine Thursday night at Hill Gym. 

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Southern Maine 1
RECORDS: Suffolk (10-2) | Southern Maine (2-8)  

SET ONE RECAP (25-20, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk's 4-1 early edge turned into a 9-5 lead. 
• The Huskies pulled back with a 4-1 run to make it a one-point set, 10-9. 
• A Grace Cervenka killed followed by back-to-back blue-and-gold blocks pushed the visitors advantage back to four, 13-9. 
• That gap grew to as many as six, twice, with the last coming behind Emily Norgrove's kill, 21-15. 
• Southern Made traded points with the Rams the rest of the way before Cervenka's third kill of the night seal the opening frame for Suffolk, 25-20. 

SET TWO RECAP (26-24- SUFFOLK)

• Despite scoring the first point of the stanza, Suffolk found itself in an 11-4 hole. 
• The Rams climbed out of it with a 7-1 run to make it a one-point margin, 12-11. Keowen, Sami Shore and Isabelle Huzar supplied kills to that stretch, that was capped off by a Jayla Martinez ace. 
• Out of a Huskies huddle, Suffolk leveled the playing field at 13-all. 
• The score would lock seven more times with the last at 24-24. 
• A USM service error was followed by a monster block from Huzar and Keowen that gave the second set to Suffolk, 26-24. 

SET THREE RECAP (25-20, SOUTHERN MAINE)

• Suffolk trailed 15-7 after Southern Maine went on an 11-2 run. 
• A Martinez ace was followed by Keowen's record-setting 10th kill of that match that sparked six straight Suffolk points that cut the deficit down to two, 15-13. 
• Southern Maine took a timeout in the hopes of stopping Suffolk's scoring but Jasmine James and Shore combined for a block out the break and things evened at 15-all right after. 
• Three unanswered points by the Huskies pushed the hosts ahead. 
• Suffolk attempted to mount a comeback once again and remained within one, 20-19, after Shore and Emily Norgrove knocked down kills. 
• It was all Southern Maine from there was it outscore Suffolk, 5-1, to take the frame, 25-20.  

SET FOUR RECAP (25-11, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk burst out to a lopsided 9-0 advantage. 
• That blossomed to a 19-9 cushion. 
• The blue-and-gold was on cruise control as it outscored the Huskies 6-2 to wrap up the set and match.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Keowen with 15 kills on a .393 attack percentage with 15 digs, two blocks and two aces to her credit. 
• Shore supplied 14 kills on a .542 connection rate and eight blocks.
• James registered 20 kills and three blocks. 
• Cervenka contributed nine kills on a .412 attack percentage to go along with four digs and one block. 
• Martinez handed out 34 assists. She added eight digs, two aces and one kill. 
• Morgan Kelsey chipped in nine digs and five assists.  

NOTEWORTHY

• With her 10th kill of the evening, that came at 10-15 of the third set, Keowen became the first-ever Ram to record 1,000 career kills in a Suffolk uniform in program history. 
• Suffolk has defeated Southern Maine in three straight meetings. 
• The Rams are now 3-3 all-time against USM. 
• In the Scott Blanchard era, the Rams are 3-1 versus the Huskies. 
• Suffolk is unbeaten, 2-0, on the road against Southern Maine. 
• The Rams and Huskies needed more than three sets to decide a winner for the second time in the all-time series, first since Oct. 2, 2010.
• Suffolk defeated Southern Maine in four sets for the first time. 
• The Rams moved to 1-1 in four set decisions against Southern Maine. 
• Keowen had her fifth double-double of the season, 20th of her collegiate career.
• Shore had a career-high in total blocks (8) and block assists (6).  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk heads to Worcester State Saturday, Sept. 21 for a tri-match with Mt. Holyoke. The Rams will take on the Lyons at 3:00 p.m., before facing the Lancers at 5:00 p.m.