GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – For the first time since 2014, the Bentley volleyball team advanced past the first round of the NCAA Championship with a five-set win over Southern New Hampshire at Adelphi Thursday afternoon.

The Falcons are no strangers to the NCAA Championship – the program has qualified in each of the past four seasons that it was offered. Still, the first round had been a thorn for Bentley… until Thursday.

Ingrid Murphy totaled a match-high 17 kills, 10 of which came in the first two sets. Two more Falcons put away double digit kills: Ellie Wheeler (12) and Rachel Vitko (12).

The Falcons got off to a precarious start against the Penmen. Southern New Hampshire, the #6 seed in the East Region, jumped out to a 6-1 lead over #3 Bentley in the opening frame. Bentley cut its deficit to 13-12, but then the Penman went on a 6-0 run to eventually win the set, 25-17.

The Falcons bounced back with a 25-18 win in the second set, but still the Falcons appeared disjointed. The third set went point-for-point late in the stanza, but the Penmen claimed a 26-24 victory.

The Falcons didn't begin to look like themselves until early in the fourth set, when Ali Stuessi came in to serve. All season Bentley has relied on its elite serving – the Falcons entered the contest ranked second in the nation for service aces per set (2.58).

With the fourth set tied 6-6, Stuessi's serving led the Falcons to a 5-0 run – their biggest run of the match up to that point. The momentum shift led to a 25-19 win in the fourth set, and Bentley's energy carried over into the fifth set. The Falcons opened the decisive frame with an 8-2 run, and they never looked back en route to a 15-9 final.

Bentley next takes on #7 Mercy Friday, Dec. 1, at 5 p.m. at Adelphi. Mercy stunned #2 New Haven earlier in the day Thursday,