Lauren Van Buren
Lauren Van Buren

Bentley Rallies to Top Stonehill in 5, Improving to 3-0 NE-10

WALTHAM, Mass. – After trailing the match 2-1 and the fifth set 10-9, Bentley University rallied to claim a 3-2 victory over Stonehill College and stay undefeated in conference action in Northeast-10 women's volleyball Tuesday evening at the Dana Center. The scores were 25-21, 21-25, 20-15, 25-13 and 15-12.

With the victory in a match that included 29 ties and 20 lead changes, Bentley improved to 3-0 in the conference and 5-11 overall. In the process, the Falcons achieved season-bests in kills (57), assists (54) and blocks (14).

The closing burst to the match, a 6-2 run, featured two kills from senior Lauren Van Buren (Massapequa Park, N.Y./Massapequa HS) and the 15th kill of the match from junior Shannon Kelly (Hyde Park, N.Y./Franklin D. Roosevelt HS).

Bentley's strong showing in the fourth set saw the Falcons hit .346 with only one error and serve four aces, including two from junior Celia Cristofoli (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson HS).

Kelly, in addition to 15 kills, filled the stat sheet with 15 digs, four blocks, two aces and 19 points. She was one of four Falcons to reach double-digits in kills, a listed headed by freshman Dani Miller (Plano, Texas/The Greenhill School) with 16 on the strength of a .448 hitting percentage. She was also involved with three blocks.

Junior McKenna Buck (Renton, Wash./Holy Names Acad.) also had a strong match for the Falcons, hitting .320 with 11 kills and a career-best eight blocks. Rounding out the list were Van Buren, with ten kills and four blocks.

Senior setter Allie Rotkin (Cumming, Ga./Milton HS) helped Bentley out with 41 assists, 11 digs, two aces and two blocks, and Cristofoli finished with three aces and 17 digs.

Junior Marykay Nasby (Belle Plaine, Minn.) gave Stonehill (7-6, 2-2 NE-10) a 13-kill, 10-dig double-double, and the Skyhawks also received 50 assists and 16 digs from senior setter Taylor Stevens (Foster, R.I.).

Bentley will continue its five-match homestand next Tuesday against Saint Anselm College.