Newbury Defeats Daniel Webster for Conference Title

The Newbury College men’s volleyball team won the 2010 New England Collegiate Conference Championship with a 3-0 victory over Daniel Webster College Saturday afternoon. Senior Mark Thomas (Wilbraham, MA/Minnechaug Regional) earned All-Tournament MVP with 25 kills on the day. 

Thomas helped the Nighthawks to a sweep over Elms in the semifinals earlier in the day with a match-high 13 kills and three assisted blocks. Senior Joshua Aberly (Palatine, IL/Palatine) and junior Max Daley (Cranston, RI/Cranston East) played solid for Newbury in the first round win as each recorded two assisted blocks. Elms sophomore Mike Martin (Enfield, CT/Enrico Fermi) earned All-Tournament team honors tallying three kills and recording a solo block in the match. Sophomore Yonalvy Acosta (Holyoke, MA/Holyoke) led the Blazers with 6 kills. 

The second seeded Eagles from Daniel Webster College defeated the four seed Lynx from Lesley University in three games in the second semifinals match of the afternoon.  Sophomore Chris Shannon (Ronkonkoma, NY/North Sachem) paved the way to victory with a match-high 15 kills while fellow sophomore David Miller (Eldersburg, MD/Liberty) contributed with three solo blocks in the victory. Senior Scott Wheeler (East Hampton, CT/East Hampton) was named to the All-Tournament team for Lesley with a team-high 10 kills. Senior Nick Assad (Andover, MA/Andover) also tallied 10 kills while recording two solo blocks for the Lynx.

In the championship round, Aberly helped lift Newbury to the 3-0 win over Daniel Webster, totaling a match-high 13 kills as well as recording three assisted blocks and two service aces to earn him All-Tournament team honors. Eagles senior Eric Smith (Clay, NY/Cicero) earned All-Tournament team honors with a team-high 12 kills and capped off the day with 19 kills and two solo blocks.  Shannon also earned All-Tournament honors for the Eagles as he added six more kills to his 15 in the semifinals in addition to 16 defensive digs in the finals. Junior James Beck (Havre de Grace, MD/Havre de Grace) rounded out the All-Tournament team for the Nighthawks with six kills and two solo blocks. 

Champion: Newbury College

Runner-Up: Daniel Webster College 

All Tournament Team

MVP: Mark Thomas, Newbury College

Newbury College: James Beck

Newbury College: Joshua Aberly

Daniel Webster College: Eric Smith

Daniel Webster College: Chris Shannon

Lesley University: Scott Wheeler

Elms College: Mike Martin