NEWTON, Mass. – Mount Ida had a late-game charge in the second set and took an early lead in the third set, but UMass Dartmouth held strong and picked up a 3-0 win in non-conference women's volleyball action on Tuesday evening at Mount Ida Athletic Center.
After a 25-16 first set victory, the Corsairs took an early second set advantage and held on for a 25-20 win before sealing the victory with a 25-22 comeback.
Mount Ida freshman Alysha Dunbar (Quincy, Mass.) had a team-high six kills in just one set, hitting .333 for the game. Sophomore libero Kelcey Koolman (Bedford, N.H.) had 19 digs and Katelyn Wickert (Chesapeake, Va.) and Hillary Kostner (Corona, Calif.) had three service aces apiece.
For UMass Dartmouth, libero Carina Filosa (Milford, Mass.) had 21 digs in the game to lead all players, while also serving four aces.
The visitors were paced by seven kills apiece from junior Madison Shea (Millis, Mass.) and senior Kelly Lyons (Bourne, Mass.).
Lyons served on six straight points in the first set to help UMass Dartmouth break a 6-6 tie and grab a 12-7 advantage. She also helped the Corsairs close off the set with three kills in their final six points.
Game two saw UMass Dartmouth jump out to a 16-3 lead before two straight aces by Wickert jump-started the Mustangs.
At 21-12, Mount Ida freshman Chevona Markel (Torrington, Conn.) took the serve and helped the home team cut the deficit to just five points, a run that included two aces. However, five was as close as Mount Ida would get in the game, as the teams exchanged points down the stretch until UMass Dartmouth had emerged 25-20.
It was the Mustangs that held the lead early in the third game, as they broke a 4-4 tie with an 8-4 run that included two kills by Koolman, who had four on the night. Filosa led the Corsairs back into the game, as she took the serve with the game tied at 15 and served three aces. Kills by Lyons and Eliza Bowes (West Yarmouth, Mass.), who had six in the game, also helped UMass Dartmouth regain the edge at 20-15.
Mount Ida made a 5-0 run to get to within a point at 23-22, but a setting error and a kill by Corsair sophomore Brianna Perry (New Bedford, Mass.) ended the set and the match for the visitors.
Mustang junior Nicole Peixoto (New Bedford, Mass.) served up nine assists and had seven digs over two sets, while Wickert dug eight balls out.
Senior Abbey Fedigan (New Fairfield, Conn.) had seven digs, assisted on two blocks, and killed three points for the Mustangs.
Perry had four kills and ten digs for the Corsairs, and was one of four UMass Dartmouth players in on blocks.
Mount Ida (3-15) will turn back to their Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) schedule when they welcome Rivier on Thursday at 7:00 pm to Mount Ida Athletic Center.
The Corsairs will return home to play Newbury at the same date and time.