Top-Seeded Women’s Volleyball Returns to NECC Finals with Thrilling 3-2 Win Over #4 Mitchell

QUINCY, Mass.- The No. 1 Eastern Nazarene College women's volleyball team punched its ticket to the NECC Championship match for the second-straight year with an exhilarating 3-2 victory over fourth-seeded Mitchell Friday evening at the Lahue Physical Education Center in the NECC Tournament semifinals.

The Lions improve to 16-6 on the season with the win and advance to the NECC Tournament Finals. The Mariners conclude the year with a 14-12 overall record with the result.

Courtney McCarthy (Merrimack, N.H.) notched her eighth double-double of the year with a team-high 16 kills to go with 23 digs. Ruth Aguilar (Tegucigalpa, Honduras) posted her fifth triple-double of the season with 27 assists, 16 digs, and 13 kills on the night. Halle Julian (Whitman, Mass.) racked up 14 kills and four blocks. Jessica Caldwell (Quincy, Mass.) collected 25 digs while Amya Altman (Butler, Pa.) registered 22 digs and four service aces. Samantha Caldwell (Quincy, Mass.) finished with 23 assists and five digs.

Mitchell's Olivia DeLoach recorded a match-high 23 kills to go with 25 digs while Lexi Hubbard dished out 30 assists and Cameron Childs chipped in with 33 digs.

The visitors raced out to a 19-13 lead in the first set en route to claiming the opening frame 25-19 to establish a 1-0 edge.

Eastern Nazarene battled back to level the match at 1-1 with a 25-20 victory in the second set after chalking up the final three points of the game.

The Lions tallied nine of the first 10 points of the third to construct a 9-1 advantage early in the set. The home side cruised to a 25-15 win in the third frame to seize a 2-1 edge.

Mitchell scored nine of the final 10 points to capture the fourth 25-22 and force a deciding fifth set.

In the deciding fifth game, Eastern Nazarene outlasted the Mariners 15-12 to clinch the 3-2 victory.

After the conclusion of the match, the Eastern Nazarene College women's volleyball team recognized the program's senior class: Courtney McCarthy (Merrimack, N.H.) and Jaclyn Teed (Lansdale, Pa.).

After tonight's THRILLING @NECCathletics semifinal victory, @encwvb honored the program's senior class

7️⃣ Courtney McCarthy
2️⃣1️⃣ Jaclyn Teed pic.twitter.com/yc1r9DR1Vh

— ENC ATHLETICS (@ENCAthletics) November 9, 2019

Up next, top-seeded Eastern Nazarene will host second-seeded New England College in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Tournament Championship match November 10.