Nov. 13, 2008
MEDFORD, Mass. - It took five sets and a come from behind effort, yet third-seeded Wellesley hung on to defeat sixth-seeded Endicott, 3-2, in the opening round of the NCAA New England Regional on Thursday evening in Medford, Mass. The Blue Pride posted set scores of 22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, and 15-8 to secure the marathon win.
Endicott used great energy to open the match, capitalizing on several Wellesley miscues to take the set 25-22. The Blue Pride responded with a 25-22 win of their own, and then took a 3-1 lead with a 25-21 victory in the third frame. Refusing to go quietly, the Gulls forced a deciding fifth set with yet another 25-22 triumph. In the final set, Wellesley showed why they were among the top squads in New England all season long with a 15-8 match-sealing win.
The Blue Pride got a standout performance from junior Alice Cummings (Tallahassee, Fla.) as the outside hitter posted an unreal 27 kills and a .404 hitting percentage while also accumulating 16 digs. Samantha Du (Houston, Texas) had 17 kills and five blocks while Jessica Duff (Abington, UK) notched 14 kills and 12 digs. Victoria Peng (Diamond Bar, Calif.) dished out 65 assists in the five set win.
Endicott was led by Steph Wiese (Higganum, Conn.) and her 15 kills and 20 digs. Hayley Janelle (Madbury, N.H.) had 10 kills and three blocks upfront while middle Morgan Knees (Newtown, Conn.) had seven kills and two blocks. Brittany Nolan (Monroe, Conn.) had 18 digs and setters Casey Ward (Monroe, Conn.) and Ally Murphy (Gilford, N.H.) had 19 and 18 assists, respectfully.
The win advances Wellesley into tomorrow's NCAA New England Regional Semifinal at Tufts University. The Blue Pride will face either Tufts or Bridgewater State for the opportunity to play in the Regional Finals. Endicott closes out its season with a 24-15 overall record and its third-straight TCCC title. The Gulls have now appeared in four of the last five NCAA Tournaments.
