WALTHAM, Mass. – The Bentley volleyball team was in complete control through the first two sets of its Northeast 10 Semifinal match against Southern Connecticut, but the #4 Owls clawed their way back to stun the top-seeded Falcons in five sets in the Dana Athletics Center (14-25, 14-25, 25-21, 25-19, 16-14).
Bentley's serving flustered the Owls in the early part of the match. The Falcons had a 9-7 lead when a kill by
Lulu Pavan brought service back to Bentley's side.
Yasmin Tonon went back to serve, and the freshman delivered four consecutive aces. She had five aces overall during an 8-0 Bentley run that allowed the Falcons a comfortable 17-7 lead.
Tonon's serving continued to keep SCSU off balance in the second set. A modest 8-6 Bentley lead quickly turned into a 14-6 lead with Tonon serving for a majority of that stretch. She delivered her sixth ace of the contest during that run.
SCSU entered the third set looking like a different team. The Owls kept pace with the Falcons, 20-20, and they closed out the frame with a 5-1 run. SCSU carried the momentum into the fourth set, where it never trailed.
The fifth set was knotted up, 5-5, when a kill by Pavan followed by an Owls error gave Bentley a 7-5 edge. SCSU responded with a 3-0 run to go up by one. The teams went back and forth, point for point. SCSU held match point, 14-13, but an attack attempt sailed into Bentley's bench to keep the Falcons alive. The Owls were undeterred by the miscue, grabbing the next two points for the win.
Sophia Poehlein led all players in kills with 19, and Pavan added 15. Tonon had 13 kills and 15 digs for her second double-double of the season.
Tory Vitko finished with a career-high 21 digs to go with 39 assists for her seventh double-double of the season.
The loss ended Bentley's 20-match win streak, and its winning streak against East Region teams (46) also came to an end. Â Â
With a 21-7 overall record, Bentley awaits the NCAA Selection Show Sunday, Nov. 15, at 10 p.m. Â
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