Volleyball Captures MASCAC Crown Behind Remarkable Comeback

By Jim Fenton

WESTFIELD, Mass. -- The Bridgewater State University volleyball team is headed to the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in 16 years after a remarkable comeback.

The Bears overcame a 2-0 deficit and defeated host Westfield State University, 3-2, in the championship game of the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament Saturday afternoon.

Second-seeded BSU (13-9) had lost the first two sets, 25-22 and 25-9, before rallying to win, 25-16, 25-18 and 15-13 over the top-seeded Owls (15-13).

The Bears have not qualified for the NCAA tourney since 2008. BSU will be making its 10th appearance in the national tournament and will learn its opening-round opponent on Monday afternoon during the NCAA Selection Show.

Sophomore Lily Welch (Hanson, Mass.) was named the MASCAC Tournament MVP after recording 13 kills, 20 digs and four blocks (two solo) in the title match. Welch also notched 12 kills, 13 digs, an ace and six block assists in the Bears 3-0 semifinal round victory over Framingham State.

Sophomore Ava Crane (Dartmouth, Mass.) checked in with 14 digs, 13 kills and two block assists for BSU, while classmate Xin Ai Robinson (Kaiserslautern, Germany) dished out 26 assists to go along with three aces and five digs.

Graduate student Bethany Votta (Cumberland, R.I.) contributed 16 assists and four digs while sophomore Lilly Misay (New Bedford, Mass.) had 13 digs and four assists as well as a pair of aces.

Junior Kim Gowell (Durham, N.H.) added eight kills and five assisted blocks for the Bears who also received four assists blocks and four kills from freshman Charlotte Sullivan (Hyannis, Mass.) as well as five kills and four block assists from senior Abigail Reardon (Fairhaven, Mass.).

BSU led for a good portion of the first set, opening a 7-2 advantage on a service ace by Misay.

The lead went to 13-7 thanks to a pair of kills by Crane, and another kill by Crane opened the advantage to 20-15.

But the Owls ran off nine straight points, three on kills by junior Emma Nihill (Chandler, Ariz.), to open a 24-20 lead.

The Bears moved within 24-22, but a Nihill kill finished the set.

The Bears were down, 4-3, in the second set after a Gowell kill, but Westfield State ran off the next eight points, getting three kills from senior Julia Bartiet (Cheshire, Conn.).

A kill by senior Abigail Reardon (Fairhaven, Mass.) stopped the run, but Westfield State took a 15-4 lead and widened it to 22-7.

The Bears had to overcome an early deficit in the third set as they trailed, 5-0.

Two kills by Welch and another by Crane helped cut the deficit to 6-4, and after trailing, 9-5, BSU ran off five points in a row for a 10-9 lead.

Welch, Gowell and Crane had kills, and there were two attack errors.

After it was tied at 11, BSU scored nine points in a row for a 20-11 lead with Reardon getting two kills.

The lead was extended to 24-13, and after the Owls scored three points in a row, sophomore Alexis Starks (Milford, Mass.) had a kill to win the set.

BSU jumped to a 4-0 lead in the fourth set before the Owls tied it at 5-5. Two attack errors and a service error put the Bears up, 8-5. Kills by Gowell and Crane were part of a run that gave BSU an 11-7 lead.

Westfield State tied it at 11, but the Bears went on a run for a 19-13 lead.

A Welch kill and an attack error finished the set.

BSU led, 4-3, in the final set and kills by Welch and Crane helped push the lead to 7-5.

After the Owls tied it at 8, Crane had two kills as BSU went up, 12-8.

An attack error gave the Bears a 14-9 lead but the Owls scored four points in a row.

BSU finished the match and won the title on a kill by Welch.

The Bears notched 12 blocks in the match and limited the Owls to a .131 hitting percentage.

Videos below courtesty of Westfield State