CONCORD, N.H. – NHTI Volleyball returns to the road Thursday evening for a pivotal Yankee Small College Conference East matchup against division-leading Southern Maine Community College at 6 p.m. at The HUB in South Portland, Maine.
The Lynx enter Thursday at 11-3 overall and 7-3 in YSCC play, sitting third in the East behind Southern Maine (12-1, 9-1 YSCC) and Central Maine Community College (11-2, 8-2 YSCC).
With the regular season entering its final stretch, Thursday presents an opportunity for movement near the top of a tightly contested East Division. NHTI can pull within one conference game of Southern Maine with a victory, while Central Maine hosts Great Bay Community College at 6 p.m. in the night's other matchup involving the division's top three teams.
Thursday marks the second meeting of the season between NHTI and Southern Maine. The Lynx handed the Seawolves their only loss of the season with a 25-16, 25-20, 25-21 sweep Sept. 10 in Concord.
Southern Maine has won 10 consecutive matches since that meeting to improve to 12-1 overall. NHTI remains the only team to take more than one set from the Seawolves this season and the only team to defeat them. Southern Maine has dropped just five sets all season, with three coming against NHTI, one in a 3-1 victory over Word of Life Bible Institute (Sept. 19) and the fifth in another 3-1 victory over Central Maine Community College (Sept. 30).
The Lynx enter Thursday looking to rebound from a 3-1 loss to Central Maine on Sunday during NHTI Homecoming Weekend. Prior to the loss, NHTI earned consecutive straight-set victories over York County Community College (Sept. 26), Holyoke Community College (Sept. 28) and Great Bay Community College (Sept. 30).
Sophomore captain Brooke Kelly (Nottingham, N.H.) continues to lead the NHTI attack after being named both the USCAA Division II Volleyball Player of the Week and YSCC Player of the Week for Fall Week 5 on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Kelly leads the YSCC with 149 kills and 3.63 kills per set while also ranking among the conference leaders with 184.5 total points, 23 total blocks and 136 digs.
Kelly is joined among the conference leaders by first-year Esther de Souza Quina (Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil), who ranks third in the YSCC with 6.48 assists per set and second with 0.61 blocks per set. De Souza Quina leads the Lynx with 285 assists, 34 service aces and 27 total blocks while adding 139 digs.
NHTI has recorded 149 service aces through 14 matches, more than twice the 64 recorded by its opponents. The Lynx have also totaled 57 blocks compared with 33 by their opponents while holding opposing hitters to a .044 hitting percentage.
Southern Maine enters the rematch averaging 10.58 kills and 3.82 service aces per set while hitting .214 as a team. Sophomore middle blocker Sivan Semo leads the Seawolves offensively with 118 kills, 3.28 kills per set and a .388 hitting percentage. Senior outside hitter Elise Kaplan has added 98 kills at 2.72 per set, while first-year libero Emily West leads the defense with 142 digs and 3.94 per set.
The series has favored Southern Maine, with the Seawolves holding a 9-4 advantage in 13 meetings in available records dating back to 2021. NHTI's September victory snapped a six-match losing streak in the series and marked its first win over Southern Maine since Oct. 4, 2023. The Lynx will also be seeking their first road victory over the Seawolves in available records, having gone 0-4 in previous road meetings.
Thursday's match is set to begin at 6 p.m. at The HUB in South Portland. The match will be streamed live on the YSCC Sports Network.
