Endicott Stops Volleyball in Four

BOSTON – Suffolk volleyball opened the action with an opening-set win, but could not hold off Endicott, who strung three set victories together, to take a 3-1 Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) decision over the Rams Saturday at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court. The conference contest was determined by set scores, 24-26, 25-19, 25-20 and 25-22.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 1 | Endicott 3
RECORDS: Suffolk (8-5, 0-2 CCC) | Endicott (6-3, 1-0 CCC)  

SET ONE RECAP (26-24, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk put the first five points of the day on the board. In that match-opening, Harmony Johnson served a pair of aces and a monster Alina Nowakowski block.
• Endicott chipped away at the host lead and made it a one-point set, 10-9. 
• Suffolk surged back ahead with a 4-1 stretch that featured kills from Isabelle Huzar, Emily Wheeler and Nowakowski and Johnson's third ace of the day. 
• That spurt forced Endicott into a timeout, however, the break did not stop the Rams as they kept the edge, 19-16. 
• The Gulls got going, scored four in a row to level the playing field at 20-all. 
• The playing field would lock twice more with the last coming at 24-24. 
• An Endicott attack error followed by Jess Weber's fifth kill of the day secured the set for the Rams.  

SET TWO RECAP (25-19 ENDICOTT)

• Things were evenly played with six locked scores. 
• At 18-all, the Gulls put together a 4-1 run to force Suffolk into a 22-19 hole. 
• Scott Blanchard took a timeout to calm down his team instead Endicott gained more momentum and scored three unanswered out of the huddle to take the set and even the match.  

SET THREE RECAP (25-20, ENDICOTT)

• Another close affair occurred with the score tying on 10 occasions. 
• From 15-all, Suffolk was forced to play catchup as Endicott scored three in a row. 
• Weber sparked a Rams' 5-0 rally that flipped the script in the host favor, 19-18. 
• Out of an Endicott timeout, Grace Cervenka and Huzar teamed up for a block to make it a two-point cushion. 
• The Gulls took over from there, tallied seven straights to secure the set.  

SET FOUR RECAP (25-22, ENDICOTT)

• Suffolk trailed at the midway point, 16-7. 
• Down eight, the Rams fought back and came within two, 24-22. 
• The Gulls denied a Suffolk comeback as Kelsey Sanborn knocked down a kill to wrap up the set and match.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Weber's name was scattered all around the scoresheet. The sophomore registered a match-high 24 kills behind a .314 attack percentage to go along with 10 digs and two aces.
• Nowakowski notched nine kills, swinging .500, with a pair of blocks to her credit. 
• Johnson recorded 26 handouts, six aces and two digs. 
• Jayla Martinez added 13 handouts, five digs, two aces and one kill. 
• Kenzley Bell had 17 digs and six assists 
• Tatum Kalt pitched in 12 digs and one ace.  

NOTEWORTHY

• The last two meetings between Suffolk and Endicott have gone four sets. 
• Suffolk entertained Endicott at Smith Court for the first time in the all-time series. Those are the only four set matches in the all-time meetings. 
• Weber produced her first collegiate double-double. 
• Weber logged a personal-best in kills (24) and digs (10) and matched a career-high in aces (2). 
• Weber is the first Ram to notch 24 kills since McKenna Keowen notched that number in a five-set loss at University of New England Oct. 19, 2021. 

POST-MATCH PIC
 

COMING UP
Suffolk concludes its Saturday action with a Boston battle versus UMass Boston. Approximate first serve is 3 p.m.