Box Score MARCY, N.Y. - The Gallaudet University women's volleyball team captured a record sixth straight North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) championship here Sunday as the third-seed Bison defeated top-seed SUNY Polytechnic Institute, 3-1.
Gallaudet (23-12) advances to a sixth consecutive NCAA Division III women's volleyball championship. The Bison will find out where and who it will play on Monday.
The Bison dropped a tough first set to the Wildcats 21-25 before it ran off three straight set wins 25-23, 25-15, 25-19.
Senior Danielle Morris (St. Louis, Mich.) led the Bison with a double-double as she posted 13 kills, 10 digs, one block solo and one block assist. Fellow senior Molly Perkins (Apple Valley, Minn.) added 13 kills while freshman Tessa Lewis (Frederick, Md.) knocked down 15 kills. Perkins was named Tournament MVP for her effort during the three-day tournament. She tallied 30 kills in three matches during the tournament. Sophomore Darriyan Thomas (Vallejo, Calif.) was the fourth Bison in double figures with 12 kills, eight digs and three service aces.
SUNY Poly was led by NEAC Player of the Year Morgan Eberley who recorded 15 kills and five digs while Sydney Johnson, NEAC Rookie of the Year, passed out 32 assists and nine digs.
The Bison got revenge this weekend against the two NEAC teams (SUNY Poly and Wells) they lost to during the regular-season. The Wildcats defeated the Bison, 3-2, back on Oct. 23 during Homecoming Weekend. GU defeated Wells, 3-1, yesterday in the NEAC semifinals.
BISON TRACKS
- Gallaudet had 14 service aces in the win
- Senior setter TraciAnn Hoglind (Fishers, Ind.) passed out 53 assists
- Senior Kate Fetzer (Noblesville, Ind.) added eight digs and four service aces
- Freshman Raelyn Fuechtmann (South St. Paul, Minn.) made nine digs and four service aces
- Sophomore Kylene Etkie (Austin, Texas) tallied three service aces
- GU is 13-0 all-time in the NEAC tournament in six seasons
- The Bison are 4-0 all-time against SUNY Poly in the NEAC tournament, including 2-0 in the championship match
- Gallaudet has outscored SUNY Poly, 12-2 in NEAC tournament matches
- Gallaudet is now 4-3 in four-set matches this season
QUOTABLE
"It was a great feeling seeing this group of volleyball players who came up here ready for the NEAC tournament and expected to win with a simple and determined goal. Congrats to them and Molly for being selected as the tournament MVP. She really lifted the team up with her continuous positive energy during the weekend." - Lynn Ray Boren, Gallaudet women's volleyball head coach
UP NEXT
The Bison receive the NEAC's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament where they will make the program's 11th appearance. Gallaudet will wait and see where they go when the official field is announced on Monday.
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