WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior Ingrid Murphy (Cotuit/Barnstable HS) led a balanced team effort with nine kills, 16 digs and three aces as the Bentley University volleyball team moved into a tie for first place in the Northeast-10 Conference with a 3-1 win over Adelphi University Friday night at the Dana Center.

The 25-12, 25-15, 16-25, 25-18 victory in the penultimate contest of the regular season kept the Falcons unbeaten at home (13-0), ended the Panthers' 13-match winning streak and moved coach Joey Pacis' team (22-5, 10-1 NE10) even with American International College in the battle for first place. Both will play tomorrow, Bentley at home against 10^th-place Pace and AIC against 12^th-place Assumption.

The balanced attack by the Falcons, the number two team in the NCAA Division II East Region rankings, saw five players with at least six kills and three record at least three aces.

Bentley led each of the first two sets from the opening serve, but Adelphi, 19-9 (10-2 NE10) and the fourth-ranked team in the region, came alive in the third.

In the fourth, Bentley trailed 14-12 before closing out the match with an impressive 13-4 run. That finishing burst included three kills from freshman Elizabeth Blinn (Concord, N.H./Concord HS).

Murphy's nine kills were matched by juniors Ellie Wheeler (Olathe, Kans./Saint James Academy) and Caitlin Wunder (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy), who hit .375. Blinn followed with seven kills and a .583 hitting percentage and graduate student Amanda Parker (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North HS) added six.

Sophomore Jazzy Burke (Lake George, N.Y./Lake George Central HS) had four aces, including three in a span of four serves in the opening set, and 19 digs. Bentley's 11 aces also included three by Parker, who also had 18 assists.

Bentley hit .254 in the match, limited the visitors to .110 and finished with an 11-3 advantage in aces.

Tomorrow's home regular season finale against Pace will start at 5 pm.