RADNOR, PA – The Cabrini volleyball team overcame slow starts to each of tonight's four sets to score a 3-1 win over Wesley in the opening round of the 2019 Atlantic East Conference Tournament.
With tonight's 25-12, 19-25, 25-22, 25-17 win, No. 3 seed Cabrini advances to Thursday's semifinal round, where it will meet No. 2 Neumann (17-11). First serve is slated for 7pm in Aston, PA.
Four Cavaliers (14-13) posted double-doubles in tonight's win, led by sophomore
Amelia Ballard, who paired 27 assists and 26 digs.
Senior
Katrina Shelly added 14 kills and 17 digs, while junior
Steph Judkins paired a match-high 17 kills with 13 digs. Freshman
Melanie Cotes-Rivera chipped in with 10 assists and 10 digs.
Sophomore
Gina Custer anchored the defensive effort with a career high 35 digs to go with seven assists and a pair of service aces. Freshman
Victoria Camacho added to the defensive effort with four total blocks, including a pair of solo stops.
Fellow sophomore
Hannah Dalton stuffed the stat sheet with seven kills, nine digs, three blocks, two assists and two aces.
After dropping the first four points of the match, the Blue and White settled down and took control of the set. With Ballard at the service line, the Cavaliers ran off nine consecutive points to build a 15-8 lead. Custer then closed the set, serving Cabrini to the final seven points of the frame.
The Cavaliers could not continue their momentum into the second frame, as Wesley used an early 10-2 run to build a 10-5 lead. Despite pulling within one point several times in the set, Cabrini could not get over the hump, as the Wolverines evened the match with a second set win.
Both teams used early 5-0 spurts in the third set, but neither could gain control of the action. Kills by Shelly and Judkins broke a 20-20 deadlock, but the Wolverines responded with consecutive points of their own.
They would be the visitors' final points of the set, as block by Camacho and sophomore
Jordan Shemonski spurred the Blue and White to the final three points of the set.
The Cavaliers built an early lead they would not relinquish in the fourth set. Despite trailing the entire set, the Wolverines kept the score close. Leading 15-13, a quick 3-0 Cabrini run provided the home team the cushion in needed to close the night's action.
Senior Lindsay Berg led Wesley (13-15) with 26 assists and 26 digs, while classmate Elisa Hackendorn added 10 kills. Junior Caelli Clifford chipped in with 29 digs.
The Cavaliers suffered a 3-1 loss to Neumann in their regular season meeting on Oct. 29.
Four Cavaliers notched double-doubles in the 25-27, 28-26, 25-18, 25-22 loss.
Judkins earned match-high honors with a season-high 25 kills to go with 11 digs, while Shelly added 18 kills and 14 digs.
Ballard paired 28 assists with 11 digs, while Cotes-Rivera chipped in with 20 assists, 12 digs and three service aces.
Melanie Malseed led Neumann with 20 kills and 16 digs, while Rachel Cray paired 54 assists and 11 digs.
