BIDDEFORD, Maine—Gordon claimed the last two sets to comeback and defeat the University of New England, 3-2, in Commonwealth Coast Conference women's volleyball action Tuesday at the Harold Alfond Forum. The Fighting Scots defeated the Nor'easters for the first time since the 2006 season.
 
The Fighting Scots (9-7, 2-1 CCC) edge in front of the Nor'easters (3-5, 1-2 CCC) in the league standings with the result.
 
Carleigh Petersen (North Hills, Calif.) tallied 22 kills and 14 digs to lead the visitors, while Mackenzie Hinds (Higganum, Conn.) contributed 13 winners. Jenna Labbadia (Berlin, Conn.) added 10 kills, and Renee Cooprider (Hopkinton, Mass.) guided the attack with 53 assists. Cooprider, Maggie Risma (Hudson, Ohio), and Krystal Vander Ark (Santa Barbara, Calif.) each dropped in three service aces to aid the offense. Defensively, Risma collected 30 digs and Vander Ark 17 more.
 
UNE received 16 kills out of Courtney Lambrese (Cranston, R.I.), and 13 apiece from Grayson Szczepaniak (Lakewood, Ohio) and Erika Sawicki (Wilbraham, Mass.). Like her counterpart, Kristen Falcinelli (Silver Spring, Md.) was credited with 53 assists in support of the attack. The back-line digging efforts included Nikki Mathewson (Merrimack, N.H.) with 17, Falcinellli with 16, Brittany Morrison (Rosemount, Minn.) with 15, and Caitlynn Marcotte (Plaistow, N.H.) at 11.
 
The Nor'easters led 13-9 in the opening frame, but four winners by Petersen spurred at 10-0 run to swing the advantage towards Gordon. UNE got the next four points, though, and still trailed 22-18, before closing with the last seven to get on the board first.
 
After a couple early ties in the second set, the Fighting Scots build a 9-3 cushion on the way to leveling the match. Petersen notched six kills in each of the initial sessions.
 
The teams were then separated by no more than three for the entirety of the third stanza, and after trading points from 19-all to 23-all, kills by Szczepaniak and Sawicki moved the hosts back on top. Sawicki racked up seven of her winners in the set.
 
Gordon was ahead practically all the way in the fourth, and things were still close (17-15) until an 8-3 finish forced the deciding set. Hinds registered three of her six kills in the frame during the closing stretch.
 
In the fifth set, the Fighting Scots went from 4-1 ahead to down 7-6, but a Risma ace and kill from Hinds put GC up for good at 10-8. Lambrese hit a trio of winners to try and keep the Nor'easters in it over the final points, but UNE could not make up the difference.
 
Gordon returns home to face Roger Williams University in a conference match on Friday for its Homecoming match at 7 p.m. 

Release courtesy of UNE Athletics