Jaci Buscher
Jaci Buscher

Kelly, Buscher Help Bentley to 10th Win, 3-1 over Stonehill

NORTH EASTON, Mass. – Sophomore outside hitter Shannon Kelly (Hyde Park, N.Y./Franklin D. Roosevelt HS) posted her first career double-double and senior outside hitter Jaci Buscher (Lakewood, Colo./Green Mountain HS) reached two career milestones as Bentley University downed Stonehill College, 3-1, in Northeast-10 Conference women's volleyball Tuesday evening.

Kelly filled the stat sheet with 11 kills, 14 digs and two blocks, and Buscher also had a productive evening with nine kills, nine digs, two blocks and two aces. Three days after notching her 800th career dig, she achieved two additional milestones, 800 kills and 100 blocks.

The 25-21, 18-25, 25-16, 25-17 boosted the Falcons to 10-6 overall and 3-1 in the Northeast-10. Stonehill, one of the two teams that shared the 2014 NE-10 regular season title with Bentley, slipped to 7-8 overall with its third conference loss in five matches.

After the two teams split the first two sets, Bentley seized control of the match midway through the third, scoring five unanswered to break a 12-12 deadlock. Kelly had two kills during the surge and sophomore Celia Cristofoli (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson HS) served a pair of aces.

The run grew to 11-2, making it a 23-14 lead, and the Falcons went on to take the set by nine points.

The momentum carried over into the fourth with Bentley jumping out to a 6-1 start, two of the points coming on Kelly kills.  The lead grew to nine at 16-7 and the Skyhawks never got closer than six.

Freshman setter Krista Campbell (Newtown, Pa./Council Rocks North HS) totaled 33 assists for the Falcons and also had two blocks and five digs defensively. Cristofoli accounted for four of Bentley's seven aces, and senior Jessica Segal (West Harrison, N.Y./Harrison HS) made 11 digs.

Delia Phillips and Katherine Delanty each had ten kills for Stonehill, which was held to a .075 hitting percentage. Bentley finished at .167 after swinging at a .280 and .290 success rate during the final two sets.

Next up for the Falcons is a Saturday home encounter with St. Michael's College (5 pm).