WALTHAM, Mass. -- Seniors Andrea Farah (Miami, Fla./Palmer Trinity HS) and Alaura Berry (San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo HS) each provided three kills in the fifth set as Bentley University battled back for a 3-2 win over Merrimack College in Northeast-10 Conference women's volleyball Wednesday night at the Dana Center.

Bentley took the first set, 25-19, but let the second slip away (falling 26-24 after being up 24-21) and were trounced in the third, 25-12. The Falcons came back to take the fourth, 25-20, and opened an 8-3 lead in the finale before holding on for a 15-13 victory.

The win, Bentley's third in its last four matches, boosted the team to 6-4 in the conference and 13-12 overall. Merrimack dropped to 4-6 in the NE-10 and 5-13 overall.

In the decisive fifth set, senior Morgan O'Laughlin (Hollister, Calif./San Benito HS) served a pair of aces to stake the Falcons to the early lead.  However, Merrimack wasn't going home without a battle and closed to within one twice, at 12-11 and 14-13.

After Merrimack made it 14-13 on a kill by senior setter Elyse Lorenz (Frankfort, Ill.), Bentley received the match-winning kill from sophomore Bridget Lawson (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West HS), off the 50th assist of the night from senior setter Kelly Mee (Ivyland, Pa./Council Rock North HS).

Following a rare kill by senior libero Maitlyn Kraft (New Braunfels, Texas/St. Mary's Hall) that put the Falcons a point away from taking the second set and a 2-0 lead in the match, Merrimack denied the home team with five straight points. Three of those were tallied on kills by sophomore Shauna Forcier (Gonic, N.H.).

Farah and Berry led Bentley in kills with 14 and 12, respectively, and both also contributed defensively. Farah came within a dig of a double-double and Berry made five blocks.  O'Laughlin provided 10 kills, eight digs and seven blocks, Lawson finished with nine kills and six blocks, and Kraft made 22 digs.

Forcier led the Warriors with 16 kills, senior Molly Cindric (Westlake Village, Calif.) followed with 15 kills and 18 digs, and Lorenz was credited with 41 assists.

It was Bentley's Dig Pink event with money being raised for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund based on the number of digs made by the Falcons. The charities made out well in that regard with the lengthy match, Bentley's 77 digs in the match tying a season-high.

Bentley is back at home on Friday, taking on Franklin Pierce University in a 7:30 pm match.

Bentley def. Merrimack 25-19,24-26,12-25,25-20,15-13

Merrimack (5-13, 4-6 NE-10) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Shaunda Forcier 16-0-1; Molly Cindric 15-1-1; Jenna Reilly 10-2-8; Nicole Duarte 6-0-2; Natalee Yeazle 4-1-3; Elyse Lorenz 2-1-1; Heidi Wroblicky 1-0-0; Alyssa Pickert 0-1-0; Totals 54-6-10.0. (Assists) - Elyse Lorenz 41. (Dig leaders) - Alyssa Pickert 21; Molly Cindric 18; Elyse Lorenz 8

Bentley (13-12, 6-4 NE-10) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Andrea Farah 14-2-0; Alaura Berry 12-0-5; Morgan O'Laughlin 10-2-7; Bridget Lawson 9-0-6; Ashley Ahearn 7-0-0; Kelly Mee 4-0-1; Virginia Wong 3-0-0; Maitlyn Kraft 1-1-0; Kristina Wilson 0-1-0; Totals 60-6-11.0. (Assists) - Kelly Mee 50. (Dig leaders) - Maitlyn Kraft 22; Kelly Mee 14; Virginia Wong 12; Andrea Farah 9; Kristina Wilson 8; Morgan O'Laughlin 8

Site: Waltham, Mass. (Dana Center)

Date: 10/20/10       Attend: 100   Time: 1:48   

Referees: Chris Johnson, Diane Beauchamp