Babson Volleyball Falls To UNE, 3-0, In ECAC New England Quarterfinals

BOX SCORE

BABSON PARK, Mass. -- Making their first-ever postseason appearance, the fifth-seeded Babson College Beavers fell to fourth-seeded UNE, 3-0, in the quarterfinals of the ECAC New England Women's Volleyball Tournament at Babson's Staake Gymnasium on Wednesday night. As a result, the Beavers see one of their best seasons in over a decade come to a close with a record of 16-12.

With the 27-25, 25-18, 25-15 win, UNE (18-14) advances to Saturday's semifinal round at Colby-Sawyer, where they will take on the top-seeded Chargers at 12 p.m. The winner will then play in the championship match later that day at 5 p.m.

The defeat ended a wonderful turnaround season for the Beavers, who recorded their most wins since 2002, their highest winning percentage since 2001, and their best conference finish since 1993. Under the guidance of head coach Tonya Strange '94, Babson then capped off its outstanding fall with an ECAC Tournament berth - the first postseason bid in the 29-year history of the program.

The Nor'Easters began pulling away late in the first set, building a 22-18 advantage. Babson then came storming back with a 6-1 run to go up 24-23, but UNE weathered the storm and eventually took the set, 27-25. The visitors would control the match from that point on, winning the final two frames by comfortable margins of 25-18 and 25-15.

Senior middle Alex Toregas (Chevy Chase, Md.) had a huge night at the net for New England, recording eight blocks and five kills. Sophomore Kristen Edwards (Laconia, N.H.) also had a big match with seven kills, while junior Ellen Choinski (Saunderstown, R.I.) dished out a team-high 20 assists. Senior Josie Raphaelito (Pine Hill, N.M.) finished with six total blocks, four kills, and three digs, junior Claire Varner (Breckenridge, Mich.) added eight digs and five kills, and sophomore libero Chelsea Boyle (Cumberland, R.I.) contributed 12 digs.

First-year Meg Flaherty (Hollis, N.H.) capped off her magnificent rookie season with seven kills and three digs for Babson, while junior Caitlin O'Neill (Lynnfield, Mass.) also recorded seven kills to go with two service aces. Junior libero Shanna Glassner (Orland Park, Mass.) was brilliant in the back for the Beavers, finishing with a match-high 21 digs, and sophomore Alexa Untermann (Honolulu, Hawaii) chipped in with four kills, two aces, and two block assists. Junior tri-captain Becca Rydzik (Beacon Falls, Con.) added six kills and five digs, and first-year setter Anna Belz (Bayport, N.Y.) amassed a match-high 22 assists to go with eight digs. Senior tri-captains Amanda Medin (Baltimore, Md.) and Ryan DePaoli (Kennesaw, Ga.) also performed well in their final collegiate match, as Medin recorded four kills and DePaoli registered five digs.