GNAC WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

WINTHROP, Mass. – No. 7 seed Emmanuel and No. 9 seed University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) kept their seasons alive in the 2023 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Volleyball Championship as both teams were victorious in their Play-In Round matchups on Monday evening (Nov. 6). Both teams advance to the GNAC Quarterfinals on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Both matches went the distance, needing a fifth set to determine the victor. The Saints were able to hold off a comeback attempt on their home court, defeating No. 10 seed Colby-Sawyer, 3-2. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays came away with a 3-2 road win in a hard-fought win over No. 8 seed New England College.

In Tuesday's quarterfinal round, Emmanuel travels to No. 2 seed Regis, while USJ makes the trip to top-seeded Simmons. The other two quarterfinals feature No. 3 seed Johnson & Wales welcoming No. 6 seed Saint Joseph's (Maine) and No. 4 seed Lasell entertaining No. 5 seed Rivier. All matches are scheduled for 7 p.m.

The tournament will continue with the GNAC Semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 9. The two semifinal winners will then compete for the GNAC title on Saturday, Nov. 11. The winner of the GNAC Championship match will be named the 2023 GNAC Women's Volleyball Champion and earn the league's automatic qualifier into the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship.

#7 Emmanuel 3, #10 Colby-Sawyer 2

Recap courtesy of the Emmanuel Athletic Communications Department.

BOSTON - No. 7 seed Emmanuel advanced to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Volleyball Quarterfinals with a 3-2 (25-14, 25-19, 24-26, 24-26, 15-9) win over No. 10  seedColby-Sawyer on Monday night in the Jean Yawkey Center. It was Saints Women's Volleyball's first postseason victory since taking down Anna Maria in 2015 in the GNAC Quarterfinals.

The first set was a back and forth battle all the way up until the score was level at 14-14. With Camila Moreno-Bo serving, the Saints closed the set on an 11-0 run to win 25-14. The run featured three kills from sophomore outside hitter Isabella Marquez and two from senior middle blocker Seana Phillips. Moreno-Bo also added an ace.

The beginning of set number two saw the Saints momentum continue. The home team was able to jump out to an early lead at 7-2 and would continue to hold the lead, but Colby-Sawyer fought back. With the score 11-6, Colby-Swayer went on to win eight of the next ten points. The run featured two kills from Ally Majenski and another from Delaney Skourtis and led to an Emmanuel timeout with the Chargers leading 14-13. After the timeout, the Saints went on a 6-0 run that included three consecutive service aces from first-year setter Kason Huynh. Emmanuel did not look back and took a 2-0 lead with a 25-19 second set victory.

The Saints fell behind 8-4 early in the third set but were able to battle back and level the match at nine. The two sides would trade points until a 5-0 Colby-Sawyer run put the chargers up 17-13. Once again, the Saints battled back and leveled the score at 24, but a service error and a Katie Mollberg kill saw the Chargers take the third set 26-24.

Much like the second set, Emmanuel took an early lead only to see Colby-Sawyer charge back. With the score 12-7, eight of the next nine points went the way of the visiting Chargers as they took a 15-13 lead. The Chargers would once again take the lead at 17-16 and did not trail for the remainder of the set. A service error and one more Majenski kill gave the Chargers another 26-24 set victory and leveled the match at 2-2.

After the Chargers took the first two points of the fifth set, Emmanuel sparked a 6-0 run that was capped off by an emphatic Sasha Hyacinthe block. The Saints did not trail for the remainder of the match and led by as many as six. Emmanuel survives and advances with a 15-9 fifth set win.

Marquez led the Saints with 20 kills. Phillips added 14 herself. Huynh posted a triple-double by tallying 10 kills, 30 assists, and 13 digs. Paula Tanguilig led Emmanuel with 17 digs. Phillips and Hyacinthe contributed eight blocks apiece. Skourtis led the Chargers with 13 kills. Brooke Patnode was the match leader in assists with 33. Audra Fontes led the Chargers with 16 digs.

#9 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) 3, #8 New England College 2

Recap courtesy of the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) Athletic Communications Department.

HENNIKER, N.H. – The ninth-seeded University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) volleyball team, which made its first GNAC playoff appearance since the 2014 season, secured the program's first postseason win since 2000, upsetting eighth-seeded New England College, 3-2, in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) First Round Monday night inside Bridges Gym in Henniker, N.H. With the result, the Blue Jays move to 8-20 on the year.

KEY MOMENTS 

• USJ came out of the gates red-hot, taking a 4-0 lead after a kill from senior middle blocker Victoria Adler, a sophomore setter Alexandra Long ace, and two NEC errors which forced an early Pilgrims timeout.
• NEC put an end to the run, cutting the gap to 4-2, but three straight NEC errors allowed USJ to take a 7-2 edge.
• USJ continued to dominate, picking up kills from senior outside hitter Shannon Carey and senior middle blocker Victoria Isokpehi to extend the lead to six, 10-4, and force another Pilgrims timeout.
• NEC fought back though, using a 6-3 stretch to close the gap to three, 13-10, and force the Blue Jays to call a timeout.
• NEC continued to fight back, taking the lead, 22-21, but a kill from Adler followed by a Pilgrims attack error enabled USJ to win the opening set, 25-23.
• The Pilgrims bounced back to begin the second set, jumping out to a 10-3 lead.
• USJ quickly responded with a 7-3 run, fueled by two points from Carey and a kill by Isokephi, to close the gap to two, 12-10.
• The two sides traded points back-and-forth as freshman outside hitter Shaye Harris kept USJ within two late, 22-20.
• However, NEC would not let USJ get any closer, ending the set on a 3-0 stretch to take the set, 25-20, and tie the match at 1-1.
• NEC jumped out to another big lead to begin the third set, 8-1.
• USJ closed the gap to three, 10-7, after a 6-3 run featuring two kills from Isokpehi.
• The Blue Jays maintained a close deficit, pulling within one, 16-15, after a Pilgrims error.
• NEC would not relinquish the lead though, holding on to take the set, 25-20, and a 2-1 edge in the match.
• After a back-and-forth start to the fourth set, USJ broke open a six-point lead, 12-6, following a kill from junior outside hitter Rachel Heaney.
• USJ continued to roll as the Blue Jays extended the lead to 10, 22-12, following an ace from senior defensive specialist Katina Nanos.
• NEC tried to mount a late comeback, but a costly error secured the set for USJ, 25-17, and tied the match at 2-2.
• The Blue Jays carried the momentum into the final set, establishing a quick 5-2 edge after an ace from senior libero Fernanda Ayala Rodriguez.
• The Pilgrims pulled back within two, but two kills from Adler and a kill from Heaney increased the lead to five, 9-4.
• USJ continued to roll, as Carey secured the final point to seal the set, 15-5, and the victory, 3-2.

NOTES 

• Carey recorded a double-double, notching a team-high 13 kills while recording 15 digs.
• Isokpehi tallied 12 kills, hitting an outstanding .476 percent.
• Adler was a force at the net, tallying five solo blocks and four block assists.
• Nanos paced the defense with a team-high 18 digs.
• The Blue Jays held the Pilgrims to a .065 hitting percentage.
• With the win, USJ cut the gap in the all-time series to 1-2.

2023 GNAC Women's Volleyball Tournament Schedule

Play-In – Monday, Nov. 6
(Hosted by higher seeds)

#7 Emmanuel def. #10 Colby-Sawyer, 3-2 | BOX
#9 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) def. #8 New England College, 3-2 | BOX

Quarterfinals – Tuesday, Nov. 7
(Hosted by higher seeds)

#9 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) at #1 Simmons, 7 p.m.
#7 Emmanuel at #2 Regis, 7 p.m.
#6 Saint Joseph's (Maine) at #3 Johnson & Wales, 7 p.m.
#5 Rivier at #4 Lasell, 7 p.m.

Semifinals – Thursday, Nov. 9
(Hosted by higher seeds)

#1/9 Winner vs. #4/5 Winner, TBD
#2/7 Winner vs. #3/6 Winner, TBD

Championship – Saturday, Nov. 11

Semifinal winners, TBD

ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 16 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.

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