BEVERLY, Mass. – The first-seeded Endicott men's volleyball team (23-3) will host second-seeded Elms College (19-6) in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Tournament championship at MacDonald Gymnasium on Saturday, April 14 at 2 PM.
THE MATCHUP: Saturday's matchup will be a repeat of last year's NECC championship showdown that saw Endicott come away with a 3-0 victory. The Gulls, who are ranked No. 14 nationally in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Poll, are 32-3 all-time against Elms. Endicott also has won 15 straight matches versus Elms from 2/2/13 to 3/27/18. During that span, the Gulls have only dropped eight sets to the Blazers.
SCOUTING ENDICOTT (ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS): The Gulls currently rank first among all NCAA Division III programs in kills per set (13.68) and assists per set (12.62). Endicott also is ranked No. 2 in opponent hitting percentage (.093), No. 4 in aces per set (2.38), No. 2 in hitting percentage (.348), No. 4 in match won-loss percentage (.880), No. 29 in digs (10.61), and No. 28 in blocks (1.90) per set.
In addition to those gaudy national rankings, Endicott is 11-2 at home this season and 8-2 in its last 10 matches (won five in a row).
SCOUTING ELMS (ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATS): The Blazers are currently ranked fifth among all NCAA Division III programs in hitting percentage (.302), No. 9 in opponent hitting percentage (.143), No. 11 in aces per set (2.02), No. 12 in assists per set (11.37), and No. 13 in kills per set (12.17).
Elms also is 6-3 on the road this season and 8-2 in its last 10 matches.
WHAT'S AT STAKE
The winner of No. 1 Endicott/No. 2 Elms will be crowned the NECC Champion and will get an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
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(Photo Credit - David Le '10)