Concord, N.H - Southern Maine Community College earned a hard-fought 3–1 road win over NHTI on Tuesday evening, claiming the Yankee Small College Conference matchup by set scores of 22-26, 25–17, 25–15, 30–28.
The opening set laid the foundation for what became a competitive night for both teams, and it was NHTI who capitalized on strong serving and front-row defense to edge out the Seawolves 26–22. Despite dropping the set, Southern Maine showed early flashes of what was to come, with Meryk Lewellen and Lilly Andreasen beginning to find their rhythm offensively.
Following the first set, the Seawolves found their rhythm midway through the second set and never looked back, using steady serving and clutch defense to swing the momentum.
The Lynx wouldn't back down, going toe-to-toe with the conference's top seed in the decisive fourth set. NHTI led 24-18 late, but an offensive surge from the Seawolves allowed SMCC to climb back, ultimately winning the set 30-28.
Meryk Lewellen powered the Seawolves' offense with 15 kills, six aces, and four total blocks, finishing with a match-high 23.5 points. Lilly Andreasen added 13 kills and eight digs, while Sivan Semo was a force at the net with six total blocks and nine kills. Setter Yana Montell guided the attack with 21 assists and chipped in 11 digs.
Defensively, Dalia Nelson anchored the back row, posting an impressive 26 digs, adding to the 68 Southern Maine tallied as a team.
For NHTI, Brooke Kelly led the Lynx with seven kills, 10 digs, and a team-high five solo blocks. Emma Bernard added eight kills, and Brooke Hurlburt collected 14 digs to pace the defense.
NHTI will close out the season away from home against Great Bay on Wednesday, October 15, at 6:00 PM.
Inside The Box Score:
