PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Competing in the program's first-ever NCAA Championship Elite-8 match, the #8 Bentley volleyball team came up short against #1 Tampa, 3-1 (25-16, 24-26, 25-14, 25-13), at the UPMC Events Center on the campus of Robert Morris University Thursday night.

Rachel Vitko had a match-high 15 kills, and Ellie Wheeler added nine.

The Spartans won the first set convincingly, 25-16, but the Falcons are no strangers to overcoming adversity.

In the second set, neither team led by more than two points until Tampa claimed an 18-15 edge. Bentley called a timeout to regroup. Ingrid Murphy put away a kill coming out of the timeout, but then the Spartans scored three unanswered points.

With a 21-16 edge, it appeared Tampa had the second set sealed. The Falcons called another timeout, which led to Maddy Kelley coming up with a kill out of the brief break. Murphy followed with a service ace, and a Tampa error allowed Bentley to get within two points, 21-19.

The Spartans called timeout, but the Falcons weren't slowing down. Tampa committed another error, and a kill from Wheeler tied the set, 21-21.

Tampa held a 23-22 edge, but the tables quickly flipped when the Spartans committed an error, and Vitko followed with a kill.

Bentley committed a miscue that allowed Tampa to briefly hang around, but the Falcons closed out the frame with a kill by Caitlin Wunder and a service ace by Vitko.  

The Falcons attacked at a .152 clip against the Spartans, but Tampa hit .313.

Bentley's historic 2023 season comes to a close after winning the NCAA East Regional title for the first time in program history.