Championship Match Set for Sunday at 3 P.M.
MANSFIELD, Mass. - No. 1 American International and No. 3 Adelphi advanced to the Northeast-10 Conference Volleyball Championship final after semifinal victories on Saturday night at the Butova Gymnasium. AIC held off No. 4 Southern New Hampshire in five sets, 3-2, while Adelphi beat No. 7 Southern Connecticut in straight sets, 3-0.
AIC looks to defend its 2021 NE10 title, while Adelphi makes its first appearance in the NE10 Championship match since 2016. The Championship final will be played on Sunday at 3 p.m. in Springfield. The match will be streamed on NE10NOW.tv or fans can download NE10 NOW on the mobile app.
Postseason admission in all rounds of NE10 fall championships will be $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and children. Current NE10 students, with valid ID, will be admitted free of charge.
Prior to the semifinal matches, AIC's Dora Butkovic was named the winner of the NE10 Elite 24 Award after earning a 4.0 GPA as a Psychology major. The Elite 24 honors the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at the finals site of each NE10 Championship.
(1) American International 3, (4) Southern New Hampshire 2 – Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - American International earned a trip to its fourth-consecutive NE10 Volleyball Championship final by holding off No. 4 Southern New Hampshire in five sets (22-25, 25-16, 25-22, 22-25, 15-9) at the Butova Gymnasium on Saturday evening. The Yellow Jackets will host the championship match on Sunday at 3 p.m.
AIC's Paola Soto Burgos posted a remarkable 29 kills and 32 overall points to help lead her team through the semifinals. The 29 kills are the most by any NE10 player in a single match this season. Teammate Perla Rosa tied for a game-high with 28 digs, while Naomi Eckert Rivera averaged over 10.0 assists per set (53 total) with 25 digs. SNHU was led by Ana Pimenta, who tallied a double-double of 23 kills and 13 digs, and Deanna Wilson, who recorded 28 digs in the loss.
The Yellow Jackets, the reigning NE10 champions, will seek their second-straight league title and third in program history (1996, 2021).
(3) Adelphi 3, (7) Southern Connecticut 0 – Box Score
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Adelphi, the No. 3 seed in the NE10 Volleyball Championship, swept No. 7 Southern Connecticut in straight sets on Saturday night to advance to the NE10 final on Sunday. The Panthers will play host and top-seeded American International at 3 p.m. - live on NE10NOW.tv.
Jamie Yonker, the NE10 Libero of the Year, tallied 24 digs (8.0 digs/set) to lead the Panthers to their first NE10 Championship match since 2016. Macarty McQueen, the NE10 Rookie of the Year, added to the winning effort by recording a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs. Southern Connecticut was led by Heliceliz Rivera with 10 kills, 17 assists and eight digs.
Adelphi looks for its first NE10 title since 2015.
NE10 Volleyball Championship
1. American International (11-1)
2. Bentley (11-1)
3. Adelphi (10-2)
4. Southern New Hampshire (9-3)
5. Saint Anselm (9-3)
6. New Haven (7-5)
7. Southern Connecticut (5-7)
8. Franklin Pierce (5-7)
Thursday, November 10th
Quarterfinals at Higher Seeds
Match 1: #1 American International 3, #8 Franklin Pierce 0
Match 2: #7 Southern Connecticut 3, #2 Bentley 1
Match 3: #3 Adelphi 3, #6 New Haven 0
Match 4: #4 Southern New Hampshire 3, #5 Saint Anselm 0
Saturday, November 12th
Semifinals - at American International
Match 5: #1 American International 3, #4 Southern New Hampshire 2
Match 6: #3 Adelphi 3, #7 Southern Connecticut 0
Sunday, November 13th
Championship - at American International
Match 7: #3 Adelphi vs. #1 American International - 3:00 PM
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 13 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.
