New Haven, Conn. - In its penultimate matchup of the regular season, the Adelphi University volleyball team won its ninth straight, defeating Southern Connecticut State on Tuesday evening.
With one more game to go, the Panthers (22-7, 7-1 NE10) have put themselves in a position to host a fist round playoff game, as the Northeast 10 Conference tournament gets underway on Nov. 18.
Offensively,
Macarty McQueen tallied a team-high 12 kills while
Elena Covic put together a nine-kill performance with a single hitting error.
Ana Carolina Westerich collected another 31 assists to bring her season total to a whopping 983, while finishing off a double-double with 11 digs.
Consistent attack errors from the home team put them in a deficit too great to overcome, as the Panther offense accounted for a flawless set of 12 kills and zero miscues. A service error from the Owls sparked a six-point run that saw Adelphi lead by double-figures at 16-5. A late attempt from the home team saw some life inside Pelz Gym, however Adelphi came away with a 25-13 first set win.
The tables quickly turned on the Brown and Gold as Southern Connecticut jumped out to a 7-3 advantage in the second set.
Madeleine Chaapel recorded a block to shift the momentum, and Covic added a pair of service aces in a five-point swing to regain the lead for Adelphi. In a back-and-forth affair, the Panthers still managed to have the upper hand at 16-13, and held onto that lead when the Owls came within one. Five of the final seven points went in favor of the Cats, as the visitors moved to 2-0 in the match with a narrow 25-21 victory.
The eventual final set was another even matchup until a 6-1 run gave Adelphi a four-point edge down the stretch. Delany Kiendra got the final word for the Panthers with a kill at match point, to secure the team's ninth consecutive win.
Adelphi wraps up the regular season on Saturday, November 15 when they travel north to take on Southern New Hampshire for a noon meeting.
