BOSTON - Emmanuel women's volleyball picked up its 23rd consecutive win on Tuesday night, starting their playoff run with a straight sets victory (25-11, 25-19, 25-18) over the New England College Pilgrims in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinals from Yosinoff Court. With the win, Emmanuel improves to 28-1, matching the 2003 program's record for most wins in team history. The 23-match winning streak is the third-longest in the nation, trailing only undefeated East Texas Baptist (30) and St. John Fisher (27).
The opening frame was all Emmanuel as the home side came out strong to open the quarterfinals. A 13-3 run through the middle of the set allowed the Saints to easily cruise in the first set. Emmanuel combined for 16 team kills, while hitting .323 from the floor, on the way to a 25-11 opening set win.
In the second set, an early NEC lead was erased thanks to an 8-1 Saints surge that lifted the home team to a 17-11 advantage. Emmanuel looked poised for another dominant run in the second set, but the Pilgrims responded with eight of the next 12 points, cutting the deficit down to 21-19. Emmanuel steadied the momentum and closed the frame with the final four points, capped by a combo block for
Madison Sherman and
Kason Huynh.
The third set was a back-and-forth battle for control, leading to an 11-11 tie. As Emmanuel looked prepared to sprint away with a 5-0 run, NEC answered back with four consecutive, as the Saints led 16-15. After trading points to 18-17 Emmanuel, the Saints would deliver the final blow, closing the match on a 7-1 surge as sophomore
Julia Haight claimed the kill on match point, giving the Saints a 25-18 set win, closing out the match in straight sets.
Sophomore
Letitia Bossou finished with a match-high 14 kills on .235 hitting from the floor. Senior
Isabella Marquez added 11 kills on a .241 attack percentage. The Saints totaled 13 aces in the match, led by first-year
Ayla Evans, who finished with five.
For the Pilgrims,
Teagan Saner had a team-high seven kills, while hitting .217 on the night.
Tyra Kelly chipped in with five more kills for NEC.
Emmanuel is making its first appearance in the GNAC Semifinals since 2015 as they host the No. 5-seeded Regis Pride on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7:00 p.m. The Pride outlasted the Rivier Raiders on Tuesday in the GNAC Quarterfinals, winning a five-set thriller on the road.
