For Immediate Release
November 13, 2008
Wellesley Sports Information
Courtesy Tufts Sports Information
Wellesley Advances in NCAAs with 3-2 Win Over Endicott
MEDFORD, Mass. - Wellesley College, the #3 seed in the New England Regional, survived a tough battle with the #6 seed Endicott College Gulls, 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 15-8), to advance in the 2008 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship on Thursday evening inside Cousens Gymnasium on the campus of Tufts University.
The first set was the tone setter for the match as there were 10 ties and five lead changes. Neither team held a lead larger than three points. Wellesley seemingly held control for the first part of the set until the Gulls tied it up at 8 apiece and worked ahead for an 11-8 lead. The Blue came back to reassume the lead, at one point holding a 15-12 advantage. Once again the tide turned and Endicott came on strong to take over the lead at 17-16. The two teams traded points until the Gulls tallied four of the final five points for the 25-22 first set win.
Endicott only held the lead one time in the second set at 6-5. Wellesley's largest lead of the set was six as the Blue took control in the middle portion of the set with a 16-10 lead. The Gulls did fight back to within two points at 23-21 and 24-22, but the Blue finished things off in the second set, 25-22, to even the match up at one set apiece.
The Gulls assumed an 8-5 lead in the third set, but Wellesley fought back to tie things up at 8 apiece and from that point Endicott never held another lead in the set. The Blue built up a large lead of six points at 22-16. Once again Endicott made things close at the end, pulling to within two points at 22-20. The Blue buckled down though, and took care of the third set, 25-21.
The fourth set was very similar to the first set of the match, as it saw nine ties and five lead changes. Once again neither team could raise their lead higher than three points. Wellesley held a 20-18 advantage, but the Gulls came back to tie it up at 20-20 and they tallied five of the final seven points en route to the fourth set victory, 25-22, and a tie in the match at two sets apiece.
Unfortunately for Endicott, they could not complete the comeback as Wellesley turned on the jets in the fifth and decisive set, leading from start to finish. The Blue built a 10-4 advantage and the Gulls could not pull any closer than five points. Wellesley took the final set, 15-8, and the match three sets to two.
The Blue were led by the career-high 27 kills and 16 digs of junior Alice Kate Cummings (Tallahassee, FL). She also added two service aces. Sophomore Samantha Du (Houston, TX) added 17 kills and five blocks while Jessica Duff (Abington, UK) notched 14 kills and 12 digs. Senior Emily Peters (Temescal Valley, CA) led all players in digs with 21 while Sophomore Victoria Peng (Diamond Bar, CA) led the match with an impressive 65 assists.
Junior Steph Wiese (Higganum, CT) led the way for the Gulls with a team-high 15 kills, 20 digs and four service aces. Senior Brittany Nolan (Monroe, CT) also added 18 digs and four service aces. The team leader in assists was senior Casey Ward (Monroe, CT) with 19 while sophomore Ally Murphy (Gilford, NH) added 18 assists and nine digs.
Endicott closes out its season with a 24-15 overall record and its third-straight TCCC title. With the win, Wellesley advances to tomorrow's NCAA Regional Semifinal at 7:00, when they will face Tufts University. Williams and Springfield will face off in the other semifinal at 4:30.
NCAA New England Regional Bracket
Full Tournament Bracket