ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University Women's Volleyball team advanced to the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth Semifinals after defeating Alvernia University in the Play-In game on Tuesday night, 3-2.
Melissa Eddy led the Knights with a double-double, putting up 15 kills and 16 digs.
Amiya Carter helped with 21 assists while
Emma Kovacs had 20. Kovacs added three service aces, as did
Brielle Nemenzo. Both
Soleil-La'Jour Staggs and
Taylor Dinnis had six total blocks each.
The first set started with a 3-1 Neumann lead, but Alvernia responded with five points in a row for a 5-3 lead. With the set equal at seven, the Golden Wolves pulled away with five straight points to lead 12-7. The Knights again got within one, but a 4-0 run kept them at bay. Neumann was on the brink, trailing 23-19, and they fought back with a 5-1 push to make it a tie at 24, but Alvernia scored the last two points for a 26-24 set win.
In the second, it was another back-and-forth affair. Neumann took a 5-2 lead and the Golden Wolves roared back with an 11-8 edge. Alvernia maintained their three-point lead all the way to 20-17 but the Knights scored six of the next seven points to lead, 21-20. After an Alvernia point, Neumann scored four of five to tie the match on a 25-22 set win.
Multiple runs by the Golden Wolves in the third made them tough to combat as they took a 6-2 lead early on. They were able to extend to 13-5 before a Knights picked up their first two point run of the set. Trailing 19-12, Neumann had little response as Alvernia pulled away for a 25-14 set win for a 2-1 set lead.
With their backs against the wall, Neumann came out firing with a 4-2 lead, although the Golden Wolves came back to tie things at five apiece. A 4-1 run by the Neumann followed by a separate five-point push allowed them to take command, 14-8. Alvernia wouldn't back down as a later 5-0 run tied the match at 16. The Golden Wolves scored four in a row to lead 20-19 but a stretch of 6-1 force a fifth set, as Neumann won 25-21.
Although Alvernia scored the first two point of the pivotal final set, a 4-0 run by the Knights would prove to be the final time they would trail. With the set at 7-5 in favor of Neumann, they would go on to score the last eight points, giving them the 15-5 set win, and the match.
Neumann (13-13) will now head to Eastern University on Thursday night to take on the Eagles in the MAC Commonwealth semifinals.
