MEDFORD, Mass. – The Endicott women's volleyball team saw their 2016 season come to an end after falling to Springfield 3-1 in the NCAA DIII Women's Volleyball Tournament. The Gulls finish the season with a 22-12 record overall.
Endicott fell in the first 25-22 as Springfield's offense was able to hit .300 while limiting the Gulls to a .216 clip. Endicott rebounded well, storming back to take the second 25-13 and even the match at 1-1. Endicott's offense hit at a .350 clip in the second while they held Springfield to a .088 average. Springfield would then respond with a 25-19 win in the third to go up 2-1. The two squads would battle in the fourth, with both teams hitting over .400 as Springfield would edge out Endicott 25-23 to claim the 3-1 win.
The Gulls were led offensively by sophomore Emma Mancini (Lynnfield, Mass.) who posted a career-best 19 kills in the setback while she hit at a .319 clip (19-4-47). The outside also added four digs and three assists in the effort.
Senior Tori McIntyre (San Diego, Calif.), junior Lauren Sheehan (Bainbridge Island, Wash.), freshman Remi Quesnelle (Sunderland, Mass.) all finished with double-digit kill efforts in the match. McIntyre posted a 12-3-43 (.209) in her final collegiate match for the Gulls while also chipping in eight digs. Sheehan finished second on the roster with 14 kills on just 25 swings as the junior hit .400 for the match, while Quesnelle hit .385 after grabbing 13 kills on 26 swings.
Libero Erika Trudon (Coventry, Conn.) led the defensive effort with 17 digs in the loss as she also had one ace. Defensive specialist Cydney Pierce (Carpinteria, Calif.) was second on the team with 11 digs, tying with setter Mareena Clotfelter (Poulsbo, Wash.) who posted a double-double as she picked up 21 assists.
BEYOND THE BOX,
- In their first trip to the NCAA DIII Tournament since 2008, the Gulls out-hit the Pride .287 to .270 with 64 kills to Springfield's 56.
- With her 12 kill effort, McIntyre moved into second on the all-time career kills list at Endicott, surpassing Sara Moore '07 in the record books. McIntyre finishes her career with 1,312 kills and 1,324 digs.
- Fellow senior Erika Trudon's ends her career with 1,427 digs, good for sixth in program history. T
- Freshman setter Zoey Gifford (Natick, Mass.) nearly posted a double-double in the setback, finishing with a team-leading 25 assists to go with nine digs.
- Endicott had qualified for the NCAA Tournament after claiming the program's first Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) title since 2008 by defeating WNE 3-0.
FOR THE FOES
- All-American middle Lauren Holt (Granby, Conn.) led the Pride with 13 kills as she hit .308 for the match.
- Libero Anagabrielle Sanchez (Caguas, P.R.) led all players with 22 digs.
- Setter Marnae Mawdsley (Bolton, Conn.) finished the match 49 assists and seven digs.
- Springfield advances to play the winner of Framingham St. and MIT.