NEWPORT, R.I.—Senior Isabella Allen (Williamsville, N.Y.) and first-year Liberty May (Grapevine, Texas) combined for 17 kills to help visiting Babson College defeat Salve Regina University in three sets, 25-20, 25-21, 25-22, in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) women's volleyball action on Tuesday night inside the Rodgers Recreation Center. 

Babson, which has won three of its last four matches, improves to 17-5 overall and 8-1 in conference play. Salve Regina has lost eight of its last nine outings to drop to 9-12 overall and 1-8 in the NEWMAC. 

Allen led all players with nine kills, May contributed eight kills and junior Nora Whitehurst (Atlanta, Ga.) provided six kills to pace a balanced attack for the Beavers. Junior Zoe Ackerman (Aurora, Colo.) handed out 27 assists, while senior Sophia Shaw (Novato, Calif.) led all players with 15 assists in the victory. 

Sophomore Anouk Jansen (Queen Creek, Ariz.) finished with six kills, senior Lucy Swanson (West Yarmouth, Mass.) contributed five kills and seven digs, and sophomore Kalena Stavish (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) handed out 10 assists for the Seahawks in a losing effort. 

The Green and White were down 10-5 early in the opening stanza and trailed 16-15 before going on a late run to win the set. May gave the visitors a 17-16 lead with a service ace, Allen made it 19-17 with a kill, and May and Ackerman produced kills during a four-point run that extended the margin to 23-18.

Salve Regina trailed for much of game two but used kills by first-year Sydney Hanlon (Sandwich, Mass.) and Jansen and an ace by junior Kate Andy (Norton, Mass.) as part of a six-point spurt to go in front 17-14. The Seahawks took their final lead of the frame at 21-20 on a kill by Swanson, but Allen sandwiched a pair of kills around an ace by Ackerman, and took advantage of two straight errors by Jansen to rally for a two-set edge. 

The Beavers trailed by as many as four early in the third set and were still down 19-17 before closing the match with an 8-3 run. Babson took advantage of three straight errors to go ahead 20-19, got a kill from Ackerman to make it 21-20 and then used a kill by Allen and two more by May to secure the victory. 

Despite hitting just .165 in the win, the Green and White limited the Seahawks to their fewest kills (21) and second lowest hitting percentage of the season (.066) in the victory. 

Both teams return to action on Saturday as Babson travels to Schenectady, N.Y., to face Union and William Smith beginning at 1 p.m., while Salve Regina hosts Johnson & Wales and Brandeis starting at 11 a.m. 

MATCH NOTES
•    The Beavers are 7-3 all-time against Salve Regina and have won six consecutive matches in the series. 
•    Babson has won seven straight road matches and is now 11-4 this fall away from home. 
•    The Green and White is 10-1 this season and has won 44 of its last 45 matches when its opponents finish with a hitting percentage of .150 or lower.
•    The Beavers are 16-3 on the year when winning the first set.