Daniel Webster Captures NECC Title Over Newbury, 3-2

Nashua - In one of the most remarkable and heart-stopping finishes in Daniel Webster College and New England Collegiate Conference history across all sports spectrums, the top-seeded Eagles women's volleyball team rallied from two sets down and from a 14-9 deficit in the fifth and deciding set to stun second-seeded Newbury, 3-2 and capture their first ever conference championship before an electrified Mario Vagge Gymnasium crowd of nearly 300 Saturday afternoon.
 
Tournament MVP and rookie Chelsey Crawford (Westfield, Mass.) knocked down a season-high 22 kills in the final as the Eagles rallied for an epic 15-25, 21-15, 25-22, 25-19, 16-14 victory.
 
The title is just the third all time in the history of the College as the Eagles joined their 1996 baseball and 2008 men's cross country counterparts as conference champions. The men's ice hockey team won a NECHA title in 2007.
 
The win also continued a record-setting season as second year head coach Braden Zamore's club finished with a 16-6 overall record, surpassing the previous high water mark of 14 victories set a year ago and finished 9-0 overall against NECC competition including regular and post-season.
 
The Eagles season may not yet be over as they await word on a possible ECAC New England championship tournament at-large bid to be announced this week.
 
All-tournament selection and senior Kristina Rieger (Concord, N.H.) added four kills, three aces and 16 digs, while fellow all-tourney honoree and setter Caitlyn DePierro (Billerica, Mass.) dished out a season high 44 assists while adding nine digs and two aces.
 
Freshman Brier Temple (Concord, N.H.) chipped in with nine kills and eight digs for Daniel Webster while Emily Travis registered four kills, four aces and five total blocks.
 
All tourney-selection Tricia Corriveau (Coventry, R.I.) led the Nighthawks with an impressive showing in the final, knocking down 12 kills, eight aces and a match-high 17 digs. Fellow all-tournament honoree and setter Regina Sibilia (Agawam, Mass.) added 15 assists, seven digs and five kills.

Sara Hanna (Center Moriches, N.Y.) added 10 digs for Newbury, which enjoyed a remarkable turn-around from a season ago. Head Coach Jamie Terenzi's Nighthawks finished 13-20 overall after a 3-27 campaign in 2008.
 
Newbury took advantage of a number of Eagle unforced errors and played strong team defense in capturing the opening two sets and held a 22-21 lead in set three before the Eagles began their improbable rally.
 
Trailing by one in the third, Crawford went to work knocking down a kill and followed with an ace for a 23-22 lead. Following a Nighthawk hitting error, Rieger closed out the 25-22 win with a kill to the left corner.
 
In the fourth, Newbury jumped out to leads of 7-3 and 12-9 before the Eagles again rallied.
 
A Crawford kill sparked a quick 5-1 run that included a DePierro ace and the Eagles would build as much as a six-point lead (21-16) after a Temple kill. Rieger would close out the fourth with a kill and ace for the 25-19 win.
 
Newbury again stormed out to leads of 7-3, 10-5 and 12-7 keyed by four straight points from Sibilia. Another Sibilia kill would give Newbury match point at 14-9.
 
But a Crawford kill was followed by four errors to tie it at 14.
 
A Hill ace suddenly put the Eagles up 15-14 and Crawford closed it out with her 22nd and final kill to secure the title.
 
 
In the day's opening semifinal, Crawford belted out a match high 14 kills against no errors to hit .609 as the Eagles pushed past fourth-seeded Elms, 3-0, winning 25-13, 25-14, 25-16.
 
Temple and Hill added six kills to the Eagle effort with Hill knocking down five aces while DePierro registered 27 assists, six digs and two aces.
 
All tournament selection Stacey Croteau (Agawam, Mass.) led the Blazers (9-20) with four kills, three aces and eight digs, while Christina Martin (Chicopee, Mass.) added three kills and nine digs and Melissa Clark (Chicopee, Mass.) added five kills and five digs.
 
 
Newbury earned its way into the final with a solid 3-1 victory over third-seeded Lesley, winning 25-20, 23-25, 25-23 and 25-19.
 
Hanna led the Nighthawks with 10 kills, a match-high 18 digs and added two aces while Corriveau nearly matched the feat with 10 kills, 17 digs and two aces.
 
Sarah Young (Waterloo, N.Y.) and Stephanie Williams (Medford, Mass.) chipped in with five kills each while Sibilia rang up 16 assists.
 
All-tournament selection Lindsey Marek (Killingworth, Conn.) along with Amanda McCracken (Eldersburg, Md.) led the Lynx (14-13) with 12 kills each.
 
Megan Ortwein (Shanghai, China) added seven kills and 10 digs and Kaitlyn Wechsler (Merrick, N.Y.) hit for six kills and 10 digs for Lesley.