Statistics
Photos (David Le Photography)

BEVERLY, Mass. -- After three intense sets with minimal difference between the teams, second seed Endicott College finished off a 3-1 result (25-19, 17-25, 25-20, 25-10) against No.7 University of New England in the opening round of the 2023 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Women's Volleyball Championship at MacDonald Gymnasium on Tuesday night (Nov. 7).

In Thursday's semifinals, the Gulls (14-13) will entertain third-seeded Western New England University, which swept Roger Williams University to advance.

The Nor'easters end the year with a 14-9 overall ledger. It was just the fifth time that a UNE match in 2023 that went longer than three frames; one of the two five-setters had occurred on the same court less than two weeks earlier, with Endicott winning sets one and three that evening before needing to rally in the fifth to finish on top.

In the early going of Tuesday's tournament action, play unfolded in a very similar fashion to the regular season meeting. The Gulls took a 6-0 lead out of the gate and kept just enough separation to firmly claim the 1st set. The Nor'easters never trailed in the 2nd, and, shortly following a third tie at 12-all, closed on a 9-3 run to level the match. UNE was responsible for each of those points (4 kills, 3 blocks, 2 aces), led by Mary Haley with 2.5 on two kills and a shared block. Kendall Gallaugher had a hand in each of the rejections during the stretch, while Hannah Nowell and Arden Caley both had multiple point contributions.

The 3rd stanza fit the script, as well, with Endicott starting strong to go up 11-4 and maintaining it until 16-10. However, a kill from Viktoria Pavlyuk had the Nor'easters only down one (16-15), and again at 17-16, after a Hadley Helenbrook kill for the hosts. A UNE service error and an EC block from Megan Murphy padded the cushion just a bit before Pavlyuk blocked one right back (19-17), but Kelsey Sanborn and Julia Giroux accounted for the next three points to give the Gulls some breathing room to wrap the set.

Where things went down a new path was at 2-all in the 4th, as Endicott captured 14 of the next 17 points to seize control. Eight different players factored in the span, with Helenbrook netting two kills and a piece of a block. The Gulls operated with a .667 hitting efficiency in the session, while UNE was held below .194 for the first time on the night (.000); Endicott finished at a .285 clip. 

Giroux totaled 16 kills to lead all players, and Krystina Schueler added 11 winners for EC. Helenbrook went for 10 kills and 11 digs. Savannah Cambell and Haley Weiner each supplied 21 assists and three aces. Emma Ruel had 14 digs.

Pavlyuk was one point back of Giroux's match-best of 17.5, getting there with 15 kills and two blocks. Haley, UNE's lone senior, notched career highs of eight kills and 11 digs in support. Gallaugher had a piece of as many blocks as the Endicott team (7), as the Nor'easters racked up a season-high 11. Kassidy Bradshaw was involved in five of those blocks (1 solo), while registering a double-double of 24 assists and 10 digs.

Defensively, Addie Miller picked up 13 digs, and, after Haley and Bradshaw, Morgan Lynch tallied nine and Pavlyuk collected eight more.