Jaci Buscher
Jaci Buscher

Saint Rose Outhits Bentley for 3-1 Victory

                ALBANY, N.Y. -- Junior Maryellen Devic (Orchard Park, N.Y.) hit .364 with 15 kills, 17 digs and four blocks as the College of Saint Rose upset Bentley University in four sets in Northeast-10 Conference women's volleyball Friday night at the Nolan Gymnasium. The scores were 25-23, 25-22, 23-25 and 25-17.

The loss dropped Bentley to 15-8 overall and 8-3 NE-10 with the Falcons now tied with Le Moyne (Saturday's opponent) for third place in the loss column. Saint Rose (9-10 overall) bolstered its chances of qualifying for the conference championships alive, evening its NE-10 record at 5-5.

The Golden Knights hit .288 in the match, including .361 in the opening set. Bentley held a 22-20 lead in that one, but Saint Rose picked up five of the next six points, including two on Falcon attack errors, to prevail.

After falling behind 2-0 in the match, Bentley came alive in the third, vaulting out to a 9-2 lead with four different players recording kills. Consecutive Saint Rose blocks cut the lead to 24-23 before Falcon sophomore Shannon Kelly (Hyde Park, N.Y./Franklin D. Roosevelt HS) delivered a set-ending kill.

The momentum didn't carry into the fourth as Saint Rose took leads of 5-2, 9-5 and 14-7 with the Falcons never threatening after that.

In addition to the big night from Devic, Saint Rose received 12 kills from junior Rachel Salasky (Virginia Beach, Va.) and 11, along with four blocks, from senior Carissa Dube (Milford, Pa.). Six-one junior Jennifer Gundrum (East Meadow, N.Y.) was involved in most of the Knights' 14 blocks, recording nine block assists.

Bentley was led by senior outside hitter Jaci Buscher (Lakewood, Colo./Green Mountain HS), with 12 kills, seven digs and three aces, with seven of her kills coming in the third. The Falcons, held to an .097 hitting percentage, also received 11 kills from Kelly, 29 assists from freshman Krista Campbell (Newtown, Pa./Council Rocks North HS) and 27 digs from senior Jessica Segal (West Harrison, N.Y./ Harrison HS).

Bentley will be in Syracuse, N.Y. Saturday for an important match at Le Moyne. First serve is at 12 noon.