FREDERICKSBURG, VA – The Cabrini volleyball season came to an end tonight, as the Cavaliers suffered a 3-0 loss at No. 14 University of Mary Washington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 25-12, 25-16, 25-14 loss closed the Blue and White's 2016 season with a 18-15 overall record.
Tonight's defeat also closes the career of senior
Kelly Guarino. A four-time All-Colonial States Athletic Conference honoree and 2016 CSAC Player of the Year, Guarino ends her career with 487 kills to go with 202 service aces and 1,744 digs, ranking fourth on the program's all-time aces list and second on the digs list.
With Guarino on the floor, the Blue and White captured 98 victories, including a perfect 44-0 in conference play, four CSAC titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances.
The senior continued to lead the Cavaliers through tonight's loss, joining junior
Anne-Marie Jones and sophomore
Emily Shannon with six kills each.
Freshman
Emily Stokarski notched her seventh double-double of the campaign, pairing 17 assists and 11 digs. Sophomore
Ashley Shannon added seven digs, two more than Guarino.
Mary Washington scored the first six points of the match and never looked back. The Cavaliers managed consecutive points just once in the opening frame, as the Eagles grabbed control of the match 25-12 in the first set.
The Cavaliers stayed close in the early going of the second set, but a 6-1 spurt midway through the frame allowed the Eagles to pull away. Six straight Mary Washington points sealed the 25-16 second set win.
Cabrini built an early lead in the third set, before the Eagles turned an 11-9 deficit into a 15-11 lead. The Cavaliers tried to remain close, but the Eagles scored nine of the match's final 10 points to seal the win.
Savanah Powers led Mary Washington (29-3) with 12 kills and nine digs, while Peyton Dunow added 11 kills.
With tonight's win, Mary Washington advances to the tournament's second round, where it will face Randolph Macon (24-7), who scored a 3-1 win over Stevenson earlier tonight. Tomorrow's other regional semifinal at Mary Washington pits No. 10 Juniata (25-6) against Johns Hopkins (20-8).
