University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Rhode Island Stuns UMass Volleyball, 3-0
October 09, 2001 | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 9, 2001
Kingston, R.I.- The University of Massachusetts volleyball team, plagued by 21 hitting errors and over-powered by a potent University of Rhode Island offense, dropped this evening's match, 0-3, at Keaney Gymnasium. UMass dips to 9-6 overall and 3-4 in the Atlantic 10 while the Rams improve to 9-7 overall and 6-1 in the A-10.
UMass was out-powered in game one as the Rams hit for .625, pounding out 15 kills and committing no hitting errors. The tone was set early as URI's Juliana Valencia led the game off with three aces followed by a Michelle Fuller kill to take the 4-0 lead. The Minutewomen battled back, evening the score at 5-5 on aces by Jitka Stehnova (Odolena Voda, Czech Republic) and Lymarie Llovet (Arecibo, Puerto Rico) and two kills by Nitia Small (Los Angeles, Calif.). UMass was unable to contain the Ram offense, however, and URI built an eight-point lead at 17-9. The Minutewomen pulled to within five at the 17-12 mark on kills by Lauren Vander Veen (Oakland, Calif.) and Llovet but could close the gap no further. URI capitalized on a .074 UMass hitting percentage and six receive errors to pull away with the 30-17 victory.
Game two started eerily like the first, with Valencia collecting three early aces to push the Ram lead to 5-0. After a UMass timeout, the Minutewomen scored the next six points to take their first and only lead of the match, 6-5. URI responded, tallying a nine-point lead at 25-16 which included four straight kills by Yolanda Bogacz. The Minutewomen attempted a come-back, pulling to within three at 28-25 off back-to-back Stehnova aces but were unable to hang on as a Fullerton block and a Brooke Ecklund kill gave URI the 30-25 advantage and the 2-0 match lead.
The Rams continued to dominate offensively in game three, jumping out to an 8-1 lead. The Minutewomen fought back, utilizing two kills by Janeen DeMarte (El Paso, Texas), a kill by Clare Baxter (Miami, Fla.) and an ace by Amy Chan (Lancaster, Pa.) to cut the URI lead to three at 13-10. Rhode Island pushed their lead back to six at 17-11 to see it reduced to two at the 23-21 mark as the Minutewomen refused to give up. The Rams made their final surge to take the 28-22 edge. UMass battled back, making it a one-point game as DeMarte recorded a kill and the Minutewomen forced four Ram attacking errors. Rhode Island hung on for the 30-28 win, however, as Amy Kauppila terminated the game and match-winner deep in the backcourt.
The Minutewomen finished the match hitting .109 to the Rams .255. Small and DeMarte were the high scorers for the Maroon and White, terminating eight kills apiece. Llovet and Vander Veen each added six. Llovet led the defensive stand with eight digs.
URI was led by Bogacz with 11 kills and Ecklund with 10 kills and 11 digs.
UMass continues A-10 play on the road as they travel to Duquesne for a 7:00 p.m. match on Friday, Oct. 12.
