Falcons Looking for First NE10 Title Since 2006; Yellow Jackets Seek First Since 1996.
WALTHAM, Mass. - Top seeds Bentley and American International won their Northeast-10 Conference Volleyball Championship semifinal matches on Friday night at the Dana Center, advancing to the NE10 championship match on Saturday night at 7 p.m. The contest between the Falcons and Yellow Jackets will be live on NE10 NOW - as both programs look to capture the title.
The Falcons narrowly held-off fourth-seeded Saint Anselm, defending their home court as the championship's top seed with a five-set victory to advance to their first title match since 2014. Second-seeded American International took a four-set win over third-seeded Stonehill - reaching its second-consecutive championship match and looking to end a 23-year drought since its last league title in 1996.
For information on the championship match, visit our tournament central page HERE.
#1 Bentley 3, #4 Saint Anselm 2 - Box Score
Dani Milner and Ingrid Murphy posted double-doubles for top-seeded Bentley on Friday night, leading the Falcons to a comeback victory in five sets (25-16, 17-25, 22-25, 25-17, 15-13) against fourth-seeded Saint Anselm in the NE10 volleyball semifinals. The Falcons advance to the NE10 championship match for the first time since 2014 and look to capture the title for the first time since 2006.
Milner had a game-high 21 kills with a .380 hitting percentage, adding 12 digs in the winning effort, while Murphy collected 12 kills and 22 digs for the Falcons. Bentley, which at one point this season had a 16-match winning streak, will host the NE10 title match against second-seeded American International on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Saint Anselm's Elise Jolly had a team-high 20 kills on Friday, while Caroline Belmontez recorded a game-high 32 digs to lead the Hawks.
Volleyball: Dani Milner led a strong hitting game by the Falcons as Bentley outlasted Saint Anselm to advance to Saturday's Northeast-10 Championship match at the Dana Center (7:00) #BentleyU #BentleyNation #NE10Embrace pic.twitter.com/1VVi9Nvmhw
— Bentley Sports Info (@BentleyFalcons) November 23, 2019
#2 American International 3, #3 Stonehill 1 - Box Score
NE10 Player of the Year Andrea Serra posted a double-double of 17 kills and 11 digs, while recording a hitting percentage of .359, as second-seeded American International won a 3-1 decision over third-seeded Stonehill in the NE10 volleyball semifinals on Friday night at the Dana Center. The Yellow Jackets advance to their second-consecutive NE10 championship match, where they will meet top-seeded Bentley on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
AIC bested the Skyhawks in four sets - 25-23, 25-14, 21-25, 25-14 - as the team recorded eight service aces and 12 blocks to take control of the match. Serra, along with Sarah Lowery and Jana Potic each had double-digit kills to lead the Yellow Jackets. Stonehill was led by Sophia Poveda, who had 14 kills on the night.
Prior to the match, Stonehill's Rachel Dunlavy received the Elite 24 Award for her 3.983 GPA in Economics.
The Yellow Jackets look to end a 23-year NE10 title drought with a victory on Saturday night, as they play the Falcons with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament at stake.
And that's the match! We take the 4th set 25-15 and clinch our second straight @TheNortheast10 Championship Finals appearance!#AICommitted pic.twitter.com/ibjlWvvofZ
— AIC Volleyball (@AICvb) November 23, 2019
2019 NE10 Volleyball Championship
Tuesday, November 19th
Quarterfinals at Higher Seeds
Match 1: #1 Bentley 3, #8 Southern Connecticut 1
Match 2: #2 American International 3, #7 Franklin Pierce 1
Match 3: #3 Stonehill 3, #6 Le Moyne 0
Match 4: #4 Saint Anselm 3, #5 New Haven 2
Friday, November 22nd
Semifinals - at Bentley
Match 5: #1 Bentley 3, #4 Saint Anselm 2
Match 6: #2 American International 3, #3 Stonehill 1
Saturday, November 23rd
Championship - at Bentley
Match 7: #1 Bentley vs. #2 American International (7:00 pm)
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.