Bentley Will Take On Southern New Hampshire Thursday in NCAA Regional First Round
WALTHAM, Mass. – The Bentley University women's volleyball team will be at American International College in Springfield Thursday afternoon to take on Southern New Hampshire University at 2:30 pm in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II East Regional. All matches will be streamed at NE10NOW.tv/aicyellowjackets.
The Falcons, 23-6 and the co-champs in the Northeast-10, will be looking for a better result than in their previous two NCAA appearances. Last season, as the seventh seed, they fell in five sets to Daemen, and in 2019, they were upset by Holy Family, 3-1.
Bentley enters its 15th NCAA regional as the third seed. The Falcons dropped a 3-2 decision to Southern Connecticut in last week's Northeast-10 quarterfinals, only their second loss in 17 matches since mid-September.
Southern New Hampshire, a newcomer to the NCAA tournament, is the sixth seed and the owner of a 16-7 record. The Penmen were 10-1 at home this season but have split 12 matches away from their campus.
In the regular season match-up, Bentley prevailed over SNHU in five sets at home. The Falcons, who were without leading hitter Ellie Wheeler (Olathe, Kans./Olathe HS), won the first two sets, 25-23 and 25-21, but dropped the next two, 31-29 and 25-10. The fifth was all Falcons, 15-6. In that final, junior Caitlin Wunder (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) had four kills, grad student Amanda Parker (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North HS) had two kills and three assists, and junior Angie Grabmeier (Hopkinton/Hopkinton HS) served three aces.
All-time, in a series that dates back to 1982, Bentley is 36-4 against the Penmen.
Coach Joey Pacis' Falcons feature three first-team All-Northeast-10 performers: Wheeler, Parker and senior outside hitter Ingrid Murphy (Cotuit/Barnstable HS). Murphy, the team leader in points, averages 2.85 kills and 3.69 digs. Wheeler, 23 kills away from a second straight season with at least 300, produces 3.22 per set.
Parker enters the regional as the only player in the regional with at least 400 assists and 150 kills.
Service aces have played a key role in Bentley's success with the average of 2.56 per set third best in Division II. Sophomore libero Jazzy Burke (Lake George, N.Y./Lake George Central HS) leads the team with 45. Murphy has 41, Parker and junior Natalie Thom (Okemos, Mich./Okemos HS) each have 39 and Grabmeier 35.
Southern New Hampshire has three players earn All-Conference nods, including second-team honoree Ana Pimento. She's among the NE10's best in kills (3.54) and also has 38 blocks.
Named to the third team were Sara Montefameglio and Deanne Wilson.
Thursday's winner will face either Daemen or Saint Anselm Friday at 5 pm in the regional semifinals. The regional championship is Saturday at 7 pm.