When and Where: November 17, 2022 – Springfield, Mass. (Butova Gymnasium)
Score: Southern New Hampshire University 3, Bentley University 1
Records: SNHU 17-7, Bentley 23-7
Sophomore
Carmen Bernardis (Trieste, Italy) matched her career high with 14 kills on .333 hitting and redshirt-junior
Ana Pimenta (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) recorded a double-double of 16 kills and 14 digs, as the sixth-seeded Southern New Hampshire University women's volleyball team notched a 3-1 victory against third-seeded Bentley University in the first round of the NCAA East Regional at American International College's Butova Gymnasium on Thursday afternoon.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
- Bernardis – career-high-tying 14 kills, .333 hitting, career-high 7 blocks, 5 digs
- Pimenta – 16 kills, 14 digs
- Senior Dai Thawnghmung (Lowell, Mass.) – 11 kills, 8 digs
- Graduate student Alice Arletti (Modena, Italy) – 10 kills, .300 hitting, 1 ace, 7 blocks
- Graduate student Sara Montefameglio (Turin, Italy) – 48 assists, 14 digs, 2 blocks
- Sophomore Deanne Wilson (No. Collins, N.Y.) – 26 digs, 2 aces
KEY MOMENTS
- Bentley held a 10-9 edge in the opening set when it used a 7-1 run to open up a 17-10 advantage. The Penmen would whittle their deficit to 24-21, but a Bentley kill put it in front, 1-0, in the match.
- The second set was even at 19-19 when four straight points powered a 6-1 run for SNHU that leveled the match at 1-1.
- The momentum fully swung toward the Penmen in the third set. With the score again tied, 19-19, two straight Arletti kills triggered a set-clinching 6-2 spurt that put SNHU up, 2-1.
- With the fourth frame tied, 22-22, an Arletti kill and service ace gave the Penmen match point, and it would be a block from Bernardis and senior Kam Blaskey (Ventura, Calif.) that sent SNHU to victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Set scores were 21-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-22.
- Blaskey posted four kills and four blocks.
- Senior Ainsley Knox (Houston, Texas) collected 10 digs.
- Sophomore Ava Czyzewski (Windermere, Fla.) turned in one ace.
- SNHU outhit Bentley in each of the final three sets, as well as .222-.164, for the match.
- The Penmen held an 11-4 advantage in blocks, while the Falcons owned a 7-4 edge in aces.
NOTES
- Southern New Hampshire has won 11 of its last 14, including six of eight and five of six.
- The Penmen reach 17 wins in a season for just the third time and the first time since 2014.
- SNHU captures its first NCAA postseason victory in its first NCAA Championship appearance.
- Bentley had won 10 of the last 12 meetings, including three-in-a-row. This was SNHU's first win in the series since Oct. 9, 2018 (3-0). The Falcons had pulled out a five-set victory against the Penmen in the regular season back on Sept. 20.
WHAT'S NEXT
- The Penmen will take on seventh-seeded Saint Anselm College in the NCAA East Regional semifinal on Friday (Nov. 18) at 5 p.m. back at Butova Gymnasium.
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