Newbury Sweeps Tri-Match

NEW LONDON, Conn. - The Mitchell College women's volleyball team hosted Becker College and Newbury College in an NECC tripleheader on Saturday afternoon at the Yarnall Athletic Center.
 
Game 1 - Mitchell College defeated Becker College, 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-16)
 
 
Mitchell (7-10 overall, 3-4 NECC) needed only three sets to defeat Becker (9-17 overall, 2-5 NECC) and lock up the fifth seed for the upcoming NECC Championship. Junior Stephanie Davis (Ledyard, Conn.) led the Mariners with 10 kills while freshman Shayna Diggs (Gales Ferry, Conn.) and senior Heather-Renae Powers (Niantic, Conn.) chipped in with eight and seven, respectively.
 
After the Mariners went up 1-0 with a 25-17 win in the first game, the two teams went back and forth in the second game until junior Jennifer Bordonaro (Winsted, Conn.) stepped behind the service line. With Mitchell holding on to a 16-13 lead, Bordonaro rattled off eight straight points-including four aces-before losing serve. The Mariners went on to win 25-13 and carried the momentum into the next game for a 25-16 victory.
 
Bordonaro finished with nine aces and dished out a match-high 24 assists.  The Mariners recorded 17 aces as a team, with Davis and Powers each contributing three.
 
Freshman Nicole Morse (Alton, N.H.) led the Hawks with four kills while junior Kelsea Laubenstein (Randolph, Mass.) handed out six assists. Junior Julie Lantry (Fitchburg, Mass.) also recorded a team-high 10 digs.
 
Game 2 - Newbury College defeated Becker College, 3-0 (25-22, 25-13, 25-17)
 
 
Newbury (12-19 overall, 6-1 NECC) began its afternoon by dispatching Becker College in straight sets. The first game was closely contested, though the Nighthawks pulled out a 25-22 win to take a 1-0 lead. Newbury then coasted to 25-13 and 25-17 victories in the final two games to take the match.
 
Freshman Sara Hanna (Center Moriches, N.Y.) led the Nighthawks with a match-high 12 kills. Classmate Regina Sibilia (Agawam, Mass.) handed out 17 assists to lead the offensive attack, with senior Sarah Nelson (Bernardston, Mass.) chipping in with nine.
 
Freshman Julie Trcka (Shelton, Conn.) led Becker with nine kills while freshman Theresa Boulier (Eddington, Maine) and Morse added four apiece. Laubenstein finished with nine assists and eight digs in the defeat.
 
Game 3 - Newbury College defeated Mitchell College, 3-1 (25-17, 25-12, 13-25, 29-27)
 
Newbury clinched the second seed for the NECC Championship in the most exciting match of the day. The Nighthawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead behind finals of 25-17 and 25-12, though the Mariners stayed alive with a 25-13 win in the third game. The teams then battled it out in the fourth game; Newbury trailed 27-26 but closed out the match by winning three straight points to earn the victory.
 
Hanna led the Nighthawks with 15 kills while sophomore Tricia Corriveau (Coventry, R.I.) and Stephanie Williams (Medford, Mass.) added nine and seven, respectively. Sibilia handed out 23 assists to pace the offense while Nelson contributed nine.
 
In the third game, Mitchell's turnaround was sparked by freshman Samantha Alevras-Tarbell (Livingston, N.J.), who served for 10 straight points and recorded four aces during the stretch. Four Mariners finished with double-digit kills, led by 14 from Davis and 12 by Diggs. Powers and freshman Akesia Bernard (Hartford, Conn.) added 10 kills each while Bordonaro recorded a season-high 36 assists and added 11 digs.
 
All three teams qualified for the 2009 NECC Volleyball Championship, which begins with first round games on Wednesday, November 4. Mitchell will play at Elms while sixth-seeded Becker will travel to Lesley. As the second seed, Newbury will receive a first round bye and will face the winner of Becker/Lesley in the semifinals. Both the semifinals and championship game will be hosted by top-seeded Daniel Webster College on Saturday, November 7.