#3 Lesley and #4 Elms Advance to Semifinals in 2009 Women's Volleyball Championship Action
2009 NECC WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
SCHEDULE
Quarterfinals - Wednesday, November 4
#6 Becker (2-5, 9-18) at #3 Lesley (5-2, 13-12),
LU 3-0
#5 Mitchell (3-4, 7-10) at #4 Elms (4-3, 8-19),
EC 3-1
Semifinals - Saturday, November 7
#1 Daniel Webster (7-0, 14-6) vs. #4 Elms (10-19), 11:00
a.m. (at Daniel Webster)
#2 Newbury (6-1, 12-19) vs. #3 Lesley (14-12), 1:00 p.m. (at Daniel
Webster)
Championship Match - Saturday, November 7
Semifinal Winners, 3:00 p.m. (at Daniel Webster)
The #3 seed Lesley University Lynx defeated the #6 seed
Becker College Hawks 3-0 (25-10, 25-11, 25-14) in the New England
Collegiate Conference (NECC) Quarterfinals. #4 seed Elms
College Blazers won a hard fough battle 3-1 (25-21, 25-19,
18-25, 25-23) over #5 seed Mitchell College Mariners in the
quarterfinal round of the 2009 New England Collegiate Conference
(NECC) women's volleyball tournament at Picknelly Arena. The Lynx
and the Blazers advanced to the semifinals which will be played
this weekend at Daniel Webster.
Lesley advances to semifinals with 3-0 victory over Becker
BOX SCORE: http://athletics.lesley.edu/sports/wvball/2009-10/stats/boxscores/luv26.htm
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The number three seed Lesley University women's volleyball team defeated the number six seed Becker College 3-0 (25-10, 25-11, 25-14) in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Quarterfinals. The Lynx advanced to the semifinals which will be played this weekend.
Lesley (14-12, 5-2 NECC) will face off against the number two seed Newbury College at 1:00 pm on Saturday, November 7. The Lynx previously lost to the Nighthawks 3-1 on October 10. Becker finishes their 2009 campaign with a 9-19 (2-5 NECC) mark.
In tonight's match against the Hawks from Becker College, Lesley's Lindsey Marek (KILLINGWORTH, Conn./Haddam-Killingworth) led all attackers with a match-high 10 kills with just three errors.
Marek's effort was part of an overall Lynx offense that had a .324 hit percentage. Also contributing to the attack were Megan Ortwein (SHANGHAI, China/Shanghai American School) and Amanda McCracken (ELDERSBURG, Md./Liberty) who had seven and five kills, respectively. Ortwein added seven aces and McCracken tallied four total blocks in victory.
Lesley's setter, Kaitlyn Miller (LEESPORT, Pa./Schuylkill Valley) tallied 24 assists in the match and added five digs, four kills, and three service aces.
Becker's Theresa Boulier (EDDINGTON, Maine/Brewer) led the Hawks with two kills on eight total attacks. Three other Hawks chipped in with one kills a piece in the quarterfinal loss.
Defensively, the Hawks got five digs from junior Julie Lantry (FITCHBURG, Mass./Fitchburg) and three digs each from Julie Trcka (SHELTON, Conn./Shelton) and Joanna Slomiak (BROCKTON, Mass./Norfolk County).
Women's Volleyball Advances Past Mitchell, 3-1 In NECC Quarterfinal Match
BOX SCORE: http://athletics.elms.edu/sports/wvball/2009-10/stats/teamstat.htm
CHICOPEE, Mass. - Fourth-seeded Elms College
freshman outside hitter Christina Martin (Chicopee,
MA) downed a match-high 12 kills and added 10 digs to help
propel the Blazers to a hard-fought 3-1 (25-21, 25-19, 18-25,
25-23) victory over No. 5 Mitchell College in the quarterfinal
round of the 2009 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) women's
volleyball tournament at Picknelly Arena.
With the win, Elms improves to 9-19 overall and advances to the semifinal round of the NECC tournament. The Blazers will play top-seeded Daniel Webster College on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 11:00 a.m. in Nashua, NH.
Mitchell concludes its season 7-11 overall.
With Elms ahead 2-0 in the contest, the sides fought to four lead changes and a 15-15 score before Mitchell rallied for five of the next six points to post a 20-16 lead in the third stanza. A Mariners attacking error and a kill by Elms sophomore outside hitter/setter Jen Rego (Fall River, MA) brought the Blazers to within two at 20-18, but Mitchell fended off the sweep by scoring the next five points, highlighted by a kill each from Brittney Zaccaria (White Plains, NY) and Akesia Bernard (Hartford, CT) to force a fourth set.
In the fourth frame, neither team led by more than three points as the teams battled to a 24-22 score in favor of Elms. Shayna Diggs (Gales Ferry, CT) kept Mitchell's hopes alive with her fifth kill of the night to pull the Mariners to within one at 24-23, but Rego sealed the set and match with her ninth termination of the night, lifting the Blazers to a 25-23 victory and a berth in the semifinal contest.
Rego finished with nine kills and 12 digs in the winning effort, while sophomore outside hitter Stacy Croteau (Agawam, MA) blasted nine kills and added a match-best 21 digs.
Rego and senior setter/outside hitter Kim Phillips (Randolph, MA) executed the Blazers' offense nicel, handing out 22 assists apiece. Phillips added 17 digs in the win, while senior middle hitter Melissa Clark (Chicopee, MA) added seven kills, 13 digs and five total blocks (two solo, three assisted).
Sets one saw back-and-forth action until Elms was able to break a 21-21 stalemate thanks to a kill each from Clark and Phillips, a ball handling error by Mitchell, and two Clark service aces to secure the 25-21 victory and post a 1-0 lead in the contest.
Leading 1-0 in the match, Elms built a 19-14 lead and didn't look back, scoring six of the next 10 points, never allowing Mitchell to get to within more than three en route to a 25-19 set two victory and 2-0 lead in the match.
Diggs and Stephanie Davis (Ledyard, CT) led the offensive attack for Mitchell, downing five kills each, while Zaccaria anchored the defensive effort with a team-high 17 digs. Marie Connelly (Bronx, NY) and Davis each finished with 10 digs on the night, while setter Jen Bordonaro (Winsted, CT) captained the offense with 14 assists and added seven digs of her own. Heather-Renae Powers (Niantic, CT) contributed four total blocks (one solo, three assisted) in the losing effort.
Stories and Photo Courtesy of Lesley and Elms Sports Information
