Berry, Mee Named All-Conference, Set to Lead Bentley into NE-10 Playoffs Tuesday
WALTHAM, Mass. -- Bentley University senior middle hitter Alaura Berry (San Diego, Calif./ Rancho Bernardo HS) has been named to the All-Northeast-10 Conference women's volleyball first team, which was announced by the conference office Monday evening.
Also earning All-Conference recognition, with a spot on the third team, is her classmate and teammate, senior setter Kelly Mee (Ivyland, Pa./Council Rock North HS).
Berry, Mee and the rest of their Bentley teammates will open Northeast-10 playoff action on Tuesday (Nov. 9) when they travel to Long Island to take on third-seeded Adelphi University in a quarterfinal match-up. Bentley, the only NE-10 team to compete in all 30 conference tournaments, is the number six seed after closing the regular season with five wins in its last six matches. For those unable to make it to the match, it can be seen online at www.aupanthers.tv for a fee of $5.95.
Berry enters the NE-10 playoffs with the second-best hitting percentage in the conference this fall, a solid .364 overall, and the best career mark in Bentley history (.355). Over the last 13 matches, she's swung at a .419 success rate, helping the Falcons win nine of their last 13.
Berry also leads the 17-13 Falcons in kills (2.67 average) and blocks (0.69 per set).
Mee, sixth on Bentley's all-time assist list with 2,684, ranks fourth in the conference in assists, delivering 9.6 per set. She also provides the Falcons with 1.62 digs, 0.69 kills, 0.41 blocks and 0.31 aces a set.
Bentley and Adelphi, the third seed, have gone to five sets four times over the last two seasons, including a 3-2 Falcon road victory on Oct. 15. The Falcons, down 2-1 in that match, came back to take the final two sets, 25-23 and 15-13. Mee recorded 51 assists and Berry was one of four Falcons with at least 10 kills and also a hitting percentage of at least .340.
Last year, the Panthers edged Bentley in five during the regular season and did the same to bounce the Falcons from the conference tournament. However, coach Sandy Hoffman's club turned the tables in the 2009 NCAA tournament, also in five.