Kirsten Segaline
Kirsten Segaline

Bentley Splits on Opening Day of Hoffman Memorial; Segaline Impresses for Falcons

WALTHAM, Mass. – Junior Kirsten Segaline (Scottsdale, Arix./Desert Mountain HS) and senior Rachel Bruno (San Diego, Calif./Francis Parker School) each had 10 kills as the Bentley University women's volleyball team opened play in the Hoffman Memorial with a 3-1 win over Rollins College in the Dana Center Friday.

In the second match of the day, Segaline stuffed the stat sheet with 21 kills and 17 digs in a five-set loss to East Stroudsburg University.

Against Rollins, Bentley used nine service aces, including three apiece from Segaline and senior setter Xio Lopp (Kalispell, Mont./Flathead HS) to dispose of the 2-4 Tars with the scores 25-15, 25-19, 11-25 and 25-23.

In the clinching set, Segaline tied things at 23, and the Falcons picked up the final two points on attack errors by the Floridians.

Bruno, who hit .438, and Segaline were followed in the kill column by senior Dani Milner (Plano, Texas/The Greenhill School) and sophomore Shannon Ngo (San Rafael, Calif./Terra Linda HS), with nine apiece. Lopp recorded the assist on 38 of the Falcons' 49 kills and also made ten digs.

Bentley twice battled back to even the match against East Stroudsburg (4-2) in the final of five matches played in the tournament Friday. The Falcons took the second 25-20 after a 25-23 loss in the first and the fourth 25-19 after a 25-17 loss in the third.

In the fifth, coach Joey Pacis' team forged a tie twice, 8-8 on a Segaline kill and 11-11 on a Milner kill after a slow start (down 8-3 at the switch). The Warriors regained the lead on a kill by senior Sarah Smith (Circleville, N.Y.) and went on to take the deciding set, 15-12.

Segaline had at least four kills in four of the five sets, including six in the fourth and four in the fifth. Milner added 14 kills and sophomore setter Amanda Parker (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North HS) assisted on 44 of the Falcons' 55 kills. Freshman Ingrid Murphy (Cotuit/Barnstable HS) came within a kill of a double-double, finishing with nine along with 12 digs.

Aces (9 for ESU, 2 for the home team) and blocks (a 16-6 ESU advantage) were instrumental in the win for East Stroudsburg. Smith was a factor in both categories, finishing with three aces and six blocks, and she also had 17 digs.

The tournament is named after the late Sandy Hoffman, Bentley's head coach for more than 30 years and an inductee into the American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Play will resume at 9 am Saturday with Bentley facing Caldwell at 11 am and Molloy at 5:30 pm.