CONCORD, N.H. – No. 8 NHTI Volleyball returns to Yankee Small College Conference action Wednesday, Sept. 23, hosting Central Maine Community College at 6 p.m. at the Dr. Goldie Crocker Wellness Center.
The matchup carries immediate implications at the top of the YSCC East standings. NHTI enters Wednesday at 8-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play, while Central Maine sits at 7-1 overall with an identical 5-1 YSCC record. Southern Maine Community College currently holds the top spot at 6-1 and does not return to action until Friday, meaning Wednesday's winner will improve to 6-1 and finish the night tied with the Seawolves for first place in the East.
NHTI enters the matchup after earning three victories across four matches during YSCC Crossover Weekend in Concord. The Lynx defeated Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in five sets Friday before sweeping Vermont State University Randolph and Paul Smith's College. NHTI carried an 8-0 record into its final match of the weekend before Word of Life Bible Institute prevailed in five sets. The 8-0 start matched the 2012 Lynx for the best start in the program's available records dating back to 2011.
Following Crossover Weekend, the Lynx entered the USCAA Division II Poll, being tied for No. 8 in the Week Two rankings.
Central Maine also exits Crossover Weekend with momentum after going a perfect 4-0 against the YSCC West. The Mustangs opened the weekend with a four-set victory over Word of Life before earning straight-set wins over Paul Smith's, ACPHS and VTSU Randolph. The four victories pushed CMCC to 7-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play. Central Maine's lone loss of the season came Sept. 16 in a 3-0 defeat at Southern Maine.
NHTI's lone conference loss came Sunday against Word of Life, while the Lynx already own a victory over the current East leader. NHTI swept Southern Maine on Sept. 10 in Concord, handing the Seawolves their only conference loss through seven YSCC matches.
Sophomore captain Brooke Kelly (Nottingham, N.H.) continues to lead the Lynx offensively after totaling 59 kills across four matches during Crossover Weekend. Kelly enters Wednesday ranked second in the YSCC with 3.40 kills per set while also contributing 55 digs, 10 service aces and six total blocks during the weekend.
First-year Esther de Souza Quina (Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil) enters Wednesday after being named the Week Three USCAA Division II Specialist of the Week and YSCC Player of the Week on Tuesday. De Souza Quina recorded 113 assists across the four Crossover matches and ranks third in the conference at 6.21 assists per set. First-year Ashlynn Williams (Greenfield, N.H.) led NHTI with 72 digs during the weekend, while first-year Emma Kowalski (Atkinson, N.H.) added 30 kills. As a team, the Lynx rank second in the YSCC with 18.46 digs per set and third in kills, assists and service aces per set.
Wednesday will renew a series that produced three tightly contested matches last season. NHTI holds a 10-7 advantage in the all-time series dating back to 2017, but all three meetings in 2025 required five sets. Central Maine took the first matchup, 3-2, in Auburn on Sept. 7 before the Lynx responded with a five-set victory on Sept. 28. NHTI then earned another 3-2 win at Central Maine in the teams' final meeting Oct. 21 in the first round of the YSCC Playoffs.
Wednesday's meeting was originally scheduled to be played in Auburn, but was moved to Concord. The move of Wednesday's match did not affect the location of the other CMCC match this season.
The programs will not have to wait long for another meeting. Wednesday begins a five-match homestand for NHTI, with the Lynx also set to host York County Community College on Sept. 26, Holyoke Community College on Sept. 28 and Great Bay Community College on Sept. 30 before welcoming Central Maine back to Concord 11 days later on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 12 p.m. That second meeting with the Mustangs will close the homestand as part of NHTI Homecoming Weekend.
First serve Wednesday is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Dr. Goldie Crocker Wellness Center. The match will also be avaiable to stream live on YSCCSportsNetwork.com.
