BENNINGTON, Vt. – Snapping a 26-match conference win streak, the Southern Vermont College women's volleyball team lost to visiting Newbury College 3-2 Wednesday night at the Mountaineer Athletic Center in New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) action on Senior Night.
The Nighthawks took the first set 29-27 before SVC took the next two by tallies of 25-16 and 25-17. NC came back to earn the deciding set with a 25-20 fourth game victory and then closed the night out in the fifth 15-9.
With the loss, the Mountaineers move to 6-1 in the NECC, 9-8 overall, while Newbury improves to 6-1 in the league, 13-14 overall.
NC came out storming to an early lead, putting Southern Vermont on its heels. Finally, the Mountaineers were able to battle back for a 9-9 tie and then its first lead at 10-9. The Nighthawks recaptured the lead quickly, but SVC refused to go away and tied it back up at 14 apiece. Small leads would be swapped and game points would be squandered as the two teams went back-and-forth until finally Newbury was able to get the edge for the 29-27 set win.
The Mountaineers used the break to settle down and make adjustments, allowing them to come out and take the first three points of the second frame. Newbury matched to tie it back up at 3-3, but SVC went on a 4-0 run to give some separation that would not be relinquished. Southern Vermont continued to be effective on both sides of the net en route to the 25-16 win.
That SVC momentum carried into the third as the Mountaineers took to an early 11-6 advantage, prompting a Newbury timeout; NC Coach Whelan's strategy paid off briefly as the Nighthawks took the next four points to close within 11-10. Southern Vermont then took to the offensive as the Mountaineers went on a 13-2 run for the set point. Newbury took the next five to keep things interesting, but an SVC timeout broke the Nighthawk momentum as the Mountaineers closed out the game in the following point.
NC came out in the fourth determined to push the match to five, taking quick 6-1 and 7-3 leads. The Mountaineers worked their way back to tie things at 13 apiece before Newbury would gain small advantages through the set. The match was tied 18-18 when the Nighthawks took seven of the next nine points for the 25-20 set win. They were effective on the attack, recording 14 kills and only one error on 26 swings for a .500 hitting percentage, the best for either team during the night.
The final game saw the two squads switch leads until the visitors took five-straight to make it 8-4. After swapping points to push the game to 12-9, Southern Vermont would make a costly mistake that stopped the Mountaineer momentum; with the ball in SVC's hands, junior Jessica Delgado (Los Angeles, Calif.) stepped up and served an ace, causing the Southern Vermont faithful to erupt. They would be silenced quickly, however, as the officials realized SVC has served out of turn, and as a result, Newbury would get the point to make it a 13-9 game instead of 12-10. The Nighthawks used a service ace and a kill to close things out and end the Mountaineer conference win streak.
Southern Vermont juniors Marissa Flores (Azusa, Calif.) and Delgado both led the team with 18 kills apiece while Newbury freshman Courtney Banks (Corona, Calif.) led all players with a match-high 19.
Mountaineer sophomore Sheilani Kaleopa (Riverside, Calif.) assisted on 38 of the team's 50 kills while also pitching in with 14 digs; she also had three dump kills that helped spark momentum throughout the match. Senior Carrie Baltazar (Whittier, Calif.) notched a triple-double, recording 10 kills, 10 assists and 14 digs on what could be her last match at the MAC. Delgado led the team with 19 digs.
Banks worked well for a powerful combination with freshman setter McKenzie Kish (Eagle River, Alaska) who totaled a match-high 48 assists on the night. NC was solid on the defensive end as junior libero Megan McDermott (Hampton, N.H.) led all players with 31 digs while freshman Madison Clemmons (Riverside, Calif.) added 21 and two other Nighthawks popped up ten apiece; Clemmons also recorded 11 kills for the visitors.
Top NECC seeding is still yet to be determined with this weekend's final regular season matches as four teams, including SVC and Newbury, have the chance to be the postseason host.
The Mountaineers next travel to Lesley University on Saturday to conclude the regular season with a 3 p.m. showdown. Newbury hosts Regis College Friday evening for a 6 p.m. league match that will also be decisive in NECC playoff seeding.
Head Coach Deon Jones poses with seniors and their gifts. From left to right: Nathalie Ruelas, Vanessa Ruelas, Carrie Baltazar
