Waltham, Mass. - Despite an even match looking at the box score, the Adelphi University volleyball program concluded its 2024 campaign in the NCAA Division II Second Round, falling 3-1 to top-seeded Bentley University.
Another record night for Kambel Fiser saw her collect 59 assists in her final game as a Panther, as the Northeast-10 Setter of the year totaled 121 assists in the tournament. Noelle Alberda concluded her career with a 17-kill performance, only committing four errors on 39 attempts.
A close first set, Adelphi rallied from an 11-7 deficit to bring the game even at 13. Experiencing two more ties, the 'Cats got as close as one but eventually dropped an exciting first set, 25-23.
Down by nine in the second, Adelphi ultimately turned it around to force extra volleyball but unfortunately fell 32-30. That was the first time the top-seeded Falcons have seen 30+ points in a single set this season.
A McQueen ace, followed by a Bentley attack error forced Falcon Head Coach Joey Pacis to call a timeout, as Adelphi extended its lead to five in the third. Coming out of the pause, the Indiana native tacked on another ace before her time behind the service line was through.
The home team's deficit quickly became a single point, forcing Danielle MacKnight to call her second time out in the three point stretch. The Panthers returned the favor, rattling off a 4-1 stretch of their own to reach set point. An untimely shot outside the confines of the court kept AU in the contest, securing a 25-21 victory.
A kill and a block from Kalena Ricketts allowed Adelphi to jump out to a 4-0 lead in the fourth frame, but Bentley managed to chip away at the advantage. A couple of Panther miscues watched the set become tied at nine-all, with the momentum in favor of the home team as a kill gave them the lead and caused another AU timeout.
The Panthers struggled to string anything together down the stretch as the hosts rolled to a 25-18 victory and a spot in the East Region finale.
MacKnight and her squad close the doors on a 2024 season that saw a major award winner in the NE10 in Fiser, six All-conference selections, two All-Region honorees, a third straight appearance in the NCAA Second Round and a 23-10 overa
