Box Score NEW LONDON, Conn. – Coast Guard came back from a two games to one deficit to beat Clark in five sets and push their record to 2-0 in NEWMAC Conference play. The Bears won by game scores 21-25, 27-25, 25-20, 22-25, 10-15.
Sophomore Susan West hit .359 with a team high 18 kills in the win. Junior Ashley Dumont followed up her strong performance against Springfield College with 13 kills. Freshman Michelle McGill had a match high 26 digs while sophomore Michaela McKeown added 15 digs. Junior Maggie Hine had a team high 28 assists with four aces for the Bears.
Freshman Marina Ramos lead the Cougars with a match high 27 kills, 22 digs, and five aces while junior Shannon Glass-Smythe had 14 kills and 24 digs of her own. Sophomore Tori Whitney had a match high 48 assists in a losing effort.
Coast Guard won the first set 21-25 jumping out early to a 10-6 lead. The Cougars managed to tie the match up at 16-16. The score then went to 18-17 before the Bears rattled of seven of the last 11 points to take a 1-0 lead.
Clark would come back to win the next two sets 27-25 and 25-20. The Cougars scored the first five points of the second set and stormed out to a 11-6 lead. Coast Guard came back to tie the second set at 16-16. The Bears had a chance to close the set out at 25-24 but Clark scored the next three points en route to a 27-25 win.
In the third set the Cougars took a 8-6 lead and never looked back grabbing a 2-1 lead in the match looking to close out the Bears in the fourth set.
The Cougars seemed to have control of the fourth game storming out to a 17-11 lead before Coast Guard scored seven straight points to take a 18-17 lead. Both team continued to swap the lead before the Bears scored three of the final four points to force a fifth game.
The Bears managed to score six of the first seven points to run out to a 6-1 lead and never fell behind in the final set winning 15-10.
The Coast Guard victory pushes their record to 8-2 overall and 2-0 in the NEWMAC Conference. Clark falls to 4-5 on the season and 0-2 in the conference.
The Bears return to action on Tuesday September 23rd when they take on the Smith Pioneers in Northampton, Mass. at 7:00 pm.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW WITH HEAD COACH AYLENE ILKSON
