SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Two years after Bentley University outlasted American International College in five sets to claim the 2019 Northeast-10 Conference women's volleyball championship, AIC turned the tables on the Falcons Friday night with a 3-1 victory in the 2021 NE10 semifinals.

The top-seeded Yellow Jackets, 25-6, will advance to Saturday's championship game while fourth-seeded Bentley, 15-12, will await Monday's selection show to see if it will receive an NCAA Division II regional berth.

The night started on a positive note for the Falcons as they earned a 31-29 first-set victory. The decisive point came on Bentley's sixth set point with a shared block by seniors Shannon Ngo (San Rafael, Calif./Terra Linda HS) and Amanda Parker (St. Charles, Ill./ St. Charles North HS).

AIC got off to fast starts in the next two sets and Bentley was never able to recover. It was a 14-6 lead in the second and 15-7 in the third with the Jackets eventually prevailing 25-19 and 25-20. The home team hit .379 in those two sets.

The fourth was even at 19 before AIC closed with a 6-1 run with two of the final three points coming via the block.

Bentley's two All-Northeast-10 honorees, junior Ingrid Murphy (Cotuit/Barnstable HS) and NE10 Rookie of the Year Ellie Wheeler (Olathe, Kans./Saint James Academy), each had 16 kills and double-doubles to lead the way. Wheeler finished with 17 digs and Murphy had 14.

Ngo followed with 11 kills and three blocks, and Parker put up a 44-assist, 10-dig double-double.

AIC, in its 19^th straight win, was powered by two-time NE10 Player of the Year Andrea Serra-Rosa (Toa Alta, P.R.), with 20 kills and 11 digs. Junior Ada Guilera Martinez (Barcelona, Spain) was also a factor, with eight blocks.

AIC's hitting percentage was more than double Bentley's, .281-.138., and the Jackets also had a major edge in blocks, 13-5.