Best season continues as Western New England College hosts Endicott in ECAC Tournament
11/11/2009 7:00:00 AM
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The best season in Western New England College women's volleyball history continues against Endicott at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 11) in a quarterfinal round match of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Championship.
The Golden Bears are seeded fourth in the tournament while the Gulls are seeded fifth.
Both teams are familiar with one another since they are members of The Commonwealth Coast Conference (TCCC).
WNEC, under rookie coach Kait Kozak, earned their post-season invitation after compiling a school-record 26-9 record while finishing second in the conference tournament. Kozak was voted TCCC Coach-of-the-Year.
Endicott posted a 19-16 mark and advanced to the semifinals of TCCC Tournament.
The Gulls captured the regular season match-up against the Golden Bears with a 3-2 victory September 19 in Springfield.
Both teams feature several top players.
Western New England College senior outside hitter Rachel Cervone (West Springfield, MA) led the team in kills (394) and was second in digs (397).
Junior setter Katharina Boes (Buffalo Grove, IL) was tops in assists (1,067).
Junior Marci Egbert (Wayne, NJ) was the team leader in digs (432).
All three made the All-TCCC First Team while Egbert also was the Conference Libero-of-the-Year.
Endicott had a First Team performer in senior outside hitter Stephanie Wiese (Higganum, CT) and Second-Team honorees in junior outside hitter Brittany Phillips (Sudbury, MA) and sophomore right side hitter Elyse Barbour (Greenville, RI).
In other matches Wednesday, top-seeded Plymouth State (30-5) hosts eighth-seeded Emmanuel (17-12), second-seeded Brandeis (18-16) entertains seventh-seeded Colby-Sawyer (19-13), and third-seeded Coast Guard welcomes sixth-seeded Johnson & Wales (23-15).
The semifinals and championship match will be held at the highest remaining seed on Saturday (Nov. 14).