SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine – NHTI Volleyball took two sets from Yankee Small College Conference East-leading Southern Maine Community College Thursday evening but ultimately fell in five sets at The HUB, 25-21, 18-25, 27-25, 12-25 and 7-15.
The loss moves the Lynx to 11-4 overall and 7-4 in YSCC play, while Southern Maine improves to 14-1 overall and 10-1 in conference action.
Thursday's matchup marked the second meeting between the two teams this season after NHTI handed Southern Maine its only loss of the year in a straight-set sweep Sept. 10 in Concord. The Lynx remain the only team to take more than one set from the Seawolves in a match this season, having accomplished the feat in both meetings. Southern Maine entered Thursday riding a 10-match winning streak, with each victory coming in three or four sets.
NHTI opened the match with a 25-21 first-set victory, hitting .333 with 11 kills and just two attack errors. The Lynx built a 16-11 advantage before Southern Maine rallied to tie the set at 16. NHTI regained the lead and held on to take the opening frame, 25-21.
Southern Maine responded with a 25-18 victory in the second set to even the match. NHTI led 7-4 early and remained competitive through a 16-16 tie before the Seawolves used a five-point run to take control.
The third set featured the most competitive stretch of the evening, with NHTI overcoming a late deficit to earn a 27-25 victory. The Lynx led 14-10 before Southern Maine rallied to take a 23-20 advantage. NHTI answered with four consecutive points, including a service ace from Haven Schwartz (Buxton, N.C.), to reach set point at 24-23.
After the Seawolves tied the score twice, sophomore captain Brooke Kelly (Nottingham, N.H.) delivered a kill to give NHTI a 26-25 lead. First-year setter Esther de Souza Quina (Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil) followed with a service ace to secure the set and put the Lynx ahead 2-1 in the match.
Southern Maine responded by taking the fourth set 25-12, using a seven-point run to turn a 6-6 tie into a 13-6 advantage. The Seawolves hit .279 in the frame while holding NHTI to a negative hitting percentage.
In the decisive fifth set, Southern Maine jumped ahead 6-1 before NHTI narrowed the deficit to 6-4. The Seawolves maintained their advantage and closed the match with a 15-7 victory.
Kelly led the Lynx with 12 kills, 18 digs and 18 points while adding two service aces, two solo blocks and four block assists. The sophomore captain continues to lead the YSCC in kills (161), kills per set (3.50) and blocks per set (0.63).
Emma Kowalski (Atkinson, N.H.) added eight kills and 10 digs, while the Lynx's other captain, Brooke Hurlbert (Franklin, N.H.), contributed four kills and 14 digs. Hurlbert ranks fourth in the conference with 163 digs, while Schwartz, who recorded 14 digs and three service aces Thursday, ranks fifth with 157.
De Souza Quina recorded a team-high 22 assists and four service aces, along with nine digs and two block assists. She ranks fourth in the YSCC in assists per set (6.27) and tied for third in blocks per set (0.59).
NHTI totaled 29 kills, 28 assists, 68 digs, 10 service aces and 10 total blocks in the five-set contest. Southern Maine finished with 62 kills, 57 assists, 86 digs and 12 service aces while outhitting the Lynx .223 to .063.
Southern Maine was led by Sivan Semo, who recorded a match-high 19 kills with a .368 hitting percentage. Elise Kaplan added 17 kills and 23 digs, while Sophia Davis distributed 50 assists. Emily West led the Seawolves defensively with 25 digs.
Despite the loss, NHTI remains third in the YSCC East standings behind Southern Maine (10-1 YSCC) and Central Maine Community College (9-2 YSCC). The Lynx have now accounted for five of the seven sets Southern Maine has lost this season.
UP NEXT
NHTI concludes its regular season Wednesday, Oct. 14, traveling to Great Bay Community College for a 6 p.m. matchup at the Student Success Center in Portsmouth, N.H. The match will be streamed live on the YSCC Sports Network. Watch live here.
