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Volleyball Downs Binghamton 3-2 in Regular Season Finale
Nov. 14, 2008
Orono, Maine - The University of Maine volleyball team ended the regular season on a high note, getting a hard fought five set win over Binghamton on Friday night. With the win Maine improves to 14-12 overall and 7-5 in America East. Binghamton slides to 14-14 overall with the loss and 8-3 in conference play. The Black Bears were led by Lindsay Allman (St. Louis, Mo.) who notched 20 kills and 11 digs. Maine got behind early, but erased the deficit to set the tone for the match and take the first set 26-24. The two teams dueled again in the second set, going into extended play before the Black Bears got an edge to take the set 29-27. After such a quick start everything unraveled for Maine as they dropped the next two sets 25-15 and 26-24. With the momentum now in the Bearcats favor, the Black Bears dug deep to pull out a crucial 15-12 victory in the final set. Jessica Wolfenden (Ottawa, Ontario) guided the offense with 50 assists and 12 digs. Laura Goettsch (Woodstock, Ontario) had a team-high 22 digs and 13 kills. Margaret Page (Winnetka, Ill.) added 14 kills and a .323 attack percentage. Brittany Kiehl (Virginia Beach, Va.) also reached double-digit kills with 12. Maine's defensive specialist Ashlee Wright (Muncie, Ind.) dug 17 balls. The match also served as a chance to honor Maine's seniors as they played the final home matches of their careers. The Black Bears will graduate Allman, Wright, Goettsch, Wolfenden, Page, Kiehl and Amy Lawson (Coeur D'Alene, Idaho). With the win Maine still has a chance to finish third in America East which would earn the Black Bears a rematch with Binghamton in the conference tournament. If UMBC drops their regular season finale to Hartford on Sunday, Maine will finish the season in third, but the Retrievers can clinch the spot for themselves with a win. If Maine finishes in fourth they will face America East leader Albany. The conference tournament will take place on Friday, Nov. 21, with the match times still to be determined.
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