WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomores Ellie Wheeler (Olathe, Kans./Saint James Acad.) and Rachel Vitko (Dover, N.H./Dover HS) combined for 29 kills to help the Bentley University women's volleyball team improve to 5-1 in Northeast-10 Conference action with a four-set victory over Southern Connecticut State University Friday night at the Dana Center. The scores were 18-25, 25-17, 25-22 and 25-20.

Bentley, the defending Northeast-10 champions, improved to 9-7 overall after winning for the ninth time in their last 12 matches. Southern Connecticut slid to 16-6 overall and 3-2 conference. The closely played match included 31 ties and 14 lead changes.

While Wheeler led Bentley with 17 kills, it was Vitko who helped turn things around after the Falcons dropped the opening set. She didn't play in the first, but after being called upon in the second, delivered five in that set, four in the third and three more in the fourth for a total of 12.

Bentley closed out the second by gaining six of the last seven points. Five of those came via the kill, including two from Wheeler.

The Falcons hit .375 in the third set with five different players putting down at least three. Vitko was at the top of that list with four.

Wheeler had six kills in the fourth set and senior setter Amanda Parker (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North HS) assisted on 15 of the team's 16 kills.

Parker and Wheeler both recorded double-doubles with Parker finishing with 46 assists, 16 digs and two aces. Wheeler's line included 15 digs and a .255 hitting percentage. The Falcons also received nine kills apiece from senior Shannon Ngo (San Rafael, Calif./Terra Linda HS) and junior Katie Rounds (McFarland, Wis./McFarland HS) as well as 23 digs and six kills from junior Ingrid Murphy (Cotuit/ Barnstable HS).

Southern was led by junior Gabriela Gaibur (Monroe, N.Y.), with 18 kills and ten digs, and sophomore libero So'oto Krishnalei (Oceanside, Calif.), with 32 digs.

Bentley will remain at home for a Tuesday night non-conference encounter with Assumption University.