Nov. 19, 2009
Box Score
Oakdale, N.Y. -
The Adelphi University volleyball team traveled to the campus of Dowling College to take on Northeast-10 rival Bentley University in the Northeast Regional of the NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship this evening. Bentley would come away with the 3-2 victory after each team went match-for-match.
In game one, the Panthers would jump out to an early 9-4 lead, but the Falcons would fight back to tie the score at 13-13. An attack error by Bentley's Virginia Wong, followed by back-to-back kills from Hilary Pavels and Patawe Simms gave the Panthers a 20-17 advantage. After a Bentley attack error and a Pavels' kill, the Falcons would score six unanswered to take a 24-21 lead, highlighted by two Alex Kearney kills. Bentley received the game-winning point on a Panther attack error to take game one, 25-22. The Falcons held the advantage in hit percentage, .282 to the Panthers' .25.
Adelphi would answer back in game two with a dominating 25-9 victory. The Panthers once again jumped out to an early lead, 12-5 en route to the victory. Adelphi would go on an 8-4 run to extend their lead to 20-9, which was capped off by two kills each from Audrey Goss and Chelsea Overholt. Bentley totaled just two kills in the set, while the Panthers recorded 16 for a hit percentage of .50.
Game three started out with back teams trading points. The Panthers held an 11-8 lead, their last of the set, as the Falcons went on for the 25-20 victory. Bentley would tie the score at 11 from two Panther attack errors and one service error. The Falcons would then get two service aces from Kristine Mickelson to take a 16-13 lead. The Panthers would cut the deficit to 20-18 on an Overholt kill, but it wasn't enough as the Falcons ended the set on a 4-1 run.
The Panthers would rally back to defeat the Falcons in the fourth set, 25-19, to force a fifth and final set. Adelphi would see its early 9-4 slip away when Bentley tied the score at 11. Three Panther kills (Pavels 2, Simms 1) and a Bentley attack error gave the Panthers a comfortable 16-11 lead. A Mickelson kill followed by a Kelly Mee service ace would cut the Panther lead to 23-19; the closest Bentley would get in the set.
The roles reversed in the final set as the Falcons came out and took an early commanding lead, 9-4. The Panthers would cut the Falcon lead to 11-5 after a Simms kill, but the Falcons would answer right back to claim a seven-point lead after a Kearney kill.
"We fell short of expectations. We appreciate everything the seniors have done for us this season to help us get as far as we did," said Head Coach Danielle MacKnight.
For Bentley, Kearney led the way with 13 kills, while Andrea Farah added 10 kills in the win. Cassie Kraft led the defensively with 32 digs, while Mee handed out 41 helpers.
For Adelphi, Pavels, Goss, and Overholt all recorded double-digit kills with 16, 12, and 11, respectively. Amy Williams tallied 24 digs, and Heather Mau distributed 44 assists in defeat.
The Panthers end the year with a 27-10 overall record and their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
