WINTHROP, Mass. - The 2024 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship Game is set for Saturday (Nov. 16) as top-seed Lasell Lasers will welcome two-seed Johnson & Wales in Auburndale, Mass. with a 3pm start. The Lasers knocked out No. 4 seed Simmons in four sets while the Wildcats ended the six-seeded Monks' season in four sets as well. The winner of Saturday's match will earn the league's automatic qualifier into the 2024 NCAA DIII Women's Volleyball Tournament.
Recap Courtesy of the Lasell Athletic Communications Department
Newton, MA. - The Lasers clutched a championship appearance during their GNAC semi-final win against Simmons University on Thursday, Nov. 14 at home.
The number one seed faced the number four seed in a 3-1 contest that would set the Lasers up for a home advantage moving towards the finals.
The Lasers came out strong in the first set, earning a quick lead that would give them the advantage for a 25-18 victory in the first.
The Sharks would respond, defeating the Lasers in a back-and-forth second set 25-23.
Both teams battled in the third set, keeping the play neck and neck before the Lasers would start to pull ahead halfway through the set for a 25-17 victory.
The Lasers would solidify their win in the final set, putting up six unanswered points to start the set and ultimately taking the third 25-11 for a 3-1 win on the match.
McKenna McCool led the Lasers with 14 kills while Juliana Medini followed with 10. Sydney Katz had 37 assists on the game.
Up Next: The Lasers are set to host the GNAC championship on Saturday, Nov. 16 against the number two seeded Wildcats from Johnson and Wales University at 3:00pm.
Recap Courtesy of the Johnson & Wales Athletic Communications Department
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Graduate student Peyton Oliver tallied a match-high 18 kills and became the JWU (Providence) women's volleyball program's all-time leader in kills to help the Wildcats advance to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship with a 3-1 win over St. Joseph's (ME) Thursday night at the Wildcat Center.
The Plainfield, New Jersey native added 14 digs as the No. 2 seed Wildcats (21-11) move on to face top-seeded Lasell on Saturday in Newton, Mass. for a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament. Freshman Skylar Winchester added 14 digs and 10 kills while classmate Finleigh Benkwitt racked up 10 kills, five blocks, and three aces as JWU won 25-10, 24-26, 29-27, and 25-13.
The Wildcats hit .458 in the opening set and grabbed the early lead behind four kills from both Benkwitt and Oliver, highlighted by the 1,505th of her career, which moved her past Annemarie Proto (2001-04) and into sole possession of first-place for career kills. Freshman Nevaeh Arnold picked up three service aces during that span.
The Monks rallied back to win the second set and tie the match at one as Benkwitt and Oliver each collected three kills during the set, and Nevaeh handed out six assists. JWU rallied back from a 20-15 deficit in the third to secure a 29-27 win and move in front two sets to one, seemingly taking the wind out of the sails of the Monks along the way.
A kill from Oliver – who registered six kills and six digs in the third set – and blocks from Benkwitt and classmate Bailey Koopman drew the match even at 24 before a point from Oliver and an ace from Benkwitt locked up a 2-1 lead. Junior and reigning GNAC Libero of the Week Sierra Nausieda was a key component of the comeback as she notched seven kills in the third.
Oliver continued to dominate offensively in the fourth, throwing down six kills en route to posting a .359 hitting pct. for the match. JWU ripped off nine-straight points to turn a 10-8 lead into a commanding 19-8 advantage, sparked by a pair of aces from sophomore Ellie McLennan.
Koopman finished her night with nine kills and seven blocks (two solo) while Arnold handed out 35 assists to go with 11 digs.