THE BASICS 

Score: Coast Guard 3, Emerson 2

Records: Emerson Lions (8-4, 3-2 NEWMAC) ; Coast Guard Bears (11-4, 4-1 NEWMAC)

Location: New London, Conn. 

Date: October 2, 2021

The Lead: Despite a late comeback in the final two sets, the Emerson women's volleyball team lost a hard fought NEWMAC tilt down at Coast Guard, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon. Freshman Amelia Combs paced the Lions with a season-high 14 kills. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

EMERSON

Combs: 14 kills
Parker Cummings: 13 kills
Brooke Maynez: 10 kills & three block assists
Rebecca Polsky: 23 assists
Logan Steenbergen: three aces
Anna Phillips: 14 digs

COAST GUARD

Amanda Dake: 22 kills
Noelle Tursky: 41 assists & 17 digs
Lauren Hatfield: six aces
Kaela France: 17 digs
Elizabeth Atkinson: five block assists

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Coast Guard burst out the gate with a quick 6-1 lead over Emerson and held a lead of at least five until Emerson closed in within one on a streak of four straight points (10-9). The Lions were able to keep it close at two (12-10) on a kill from Combs, but the Bears rang off the next five points to put the visitors in a six-point hole. 
• Down nine at 23-14, Emerson rattled off six of the next seven points to inch within four (24-20), but it was Coast Guard who tallied the match point on a swing from Dake (25-20). 
• After Emerson closed the gap to a point at 6-5 in the second frame, Coast Guard put up seven consecutive points to bump its advantage up to eight (13-5). A trio of scores past the midway point ballooned Coast Guard's cushion into double figures and had the Lions playing catch up to wrap the frame. 
• The closest Emerson was able to creep within Coast Guard was eight at 22-14 as the Lions fell in the second frame, 25-14. 
• Instead of playing catch up to start off the set, Emerson gained a four-point edge over Coast Guard in the third and continued to build their edge as the set moved ahead. Despite two six-point advantages by the Lions, the Bears managed to inch within three. At 22-16, Emerson closed out the third with a pair of kills by Cummings to notch the 25-17 win and force a fourth set. 
• Coast Guard held the lead through much of the fourth until the score reached 16-13. Emerson caught momentum and pieced a 5-0 together to claim an 18-16 edge on an attack error. The Lions surrendered its lead when the hosts rattled off three of the next four points (21-20) - the visitors battled and registered the set's final five points for the 25-21 win and sent the game into the fifth. 
• The Lions were able to stay within one of the Bears in the fifth at 4-3, but were unable to catch the hosts in the beginning as they jumped out to the 9-3 lead in the fifth. 
• Down six, Emerson clawed their way back with a 4-1 run to keep the score within reach at three (11-8), but a pair of attack errors, an ace and a kill by Tursky gave Coast Guard the 15-8 win. 

UP NEXT 

• Emerson comes back to Brown & Plofker on Tuesday, October 5th to face the nationally-ranked Babson at 7:00 p.m.