Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The New England College women's volleyball team split their Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) tri-match on Saturday at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, Connecticut, downing the host Falcons in four sets before falling just short to Saint Joseph's College of Maine in a five-set thriller. The Pilgrims run their record to 8-11 overall and 4-6 against GNAC opponents.
THE BASICS
Match 1 - Score: New England College 3, Albertus Magnus 1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-14, 25-21)
Match 2 - Score: SJC 3, New England College 2 (25-18, 10-25, 25-22, 24-26, 15-12)
TATIANA SAMPSON – NEC ALL-TIME KILLS LEADER
- NEC graduate middle-blocker Tatiana Sampson (Kailua, Hawaii), who entered the day with 659 career kills, tallied eleven against the Falcons in the opener and in doing so passed former Pilgrim great Tihani Ehia (Class of 2022) who had held the school record with 662. Sampson, who had already long been New England College's all-time leader in sets played and the leader in virtually every major blocking category, hit .348 against Albertus Magnus in one of her best matches of the season. Then against the Monks of Saint Joseph's, Sampson turned in another strong effort, leading the 'Grims with eleven kills and five digs.
NEC 3, ALBERTUS MAGNUS 1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-14, 25-21)
- NEC senior outside hitter Savannah Pilialoha (Waipahu, Hawaii) posted nine kills and eight digs against Albertus Magnus while sophomore middle-blocker Jamie Hansen (New Underwood, S.D.) had perhaps her best match as a Pilgrim, finishing with seven kills, five digs and a .333 kill percentage.
- NEC sophomore setter Alexandra Seijas (Fort Myers, Fla.) set up the offense and defense, finishing with 18 set assists and 14 digs, both team highs.
- NEC junior outside hitter Lily-Anne Heywood (Derry, N.H.) had a season-best five service aces to go along with ten digs.
SJC 3, NEC 2 (25-18, 10-25, 25-22, 24-26, 15-12)
- Down two sets to one and trailing in the fourth, the Pilgrims rallied to stun the Monks 26-24 to force a fifth and deciding set. Once falling behind early, NEC rallied to tie it up at 12-12 behind a service ace from Seijas before Saint Joseph's finally put the match away with three straight rallies.
- Pilialoha finished with nine kills and five digs while Heywood finished with seven and eleven, all while going a perfect 18 of 18 on receptions.
- NEC junior defensive specialist Kristina Cardello (Peabody, Mass.) posted a brilliant defensive effort with 36 digs with a .933 reception percentage.
- Seijas finished with 22 set assists.
UP NEXT
- NEC is back on the court on Tuesday evening when they travel to Dean College for a 6:00 p.m. match.
