Bentley Volleyball Headed To NCAA Semifinal

News release from Bentley Athletics.

WALTHAM, MA — Bentley advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the first time in program history with a five-set victory over the #1 seed Ferris State on Thursday night.

The Falcons outlasted the Bulldogs by scores of 25-23, 16-25, 25-22, 12-25, 15-13.

Bentley, the East Region champions and the #8 seed, will face the #4 seed and South Region champions Lynn University in the national semifinals on Friday at 8:00 pm eastern.

The Falcons handed Ferris State (34-1) its first loss of the season. They were ranked the No. 1 team in Division II in the most recent AVCA poll.

Bentley trailed in the early and mid-portions of the fifth set and were looking at a 10-7 deficit. But they fought back and won eight of the final 11 points to win the set and the match.

A 3-1 Falcons run pulled them to 11-10 after a kill by Caitlin Wunder.

That's when Elizabeth Blinn went to work with three straight service aces to put Bentley in front at 13-11.

After a point for Ferris State, a kill by Rachel Vitko put Bentley on the precipice at 14-12.

The Bulldogs stayed on alive on the next point to make it 14-13. But the Falcons clinched the match on the next point and booked their place in the semifinals after an attack error by Ferris State ended it.

Sophia Poehlein had a co-match high 19 kills and Rachel Vitko tallied 16 kills. Tory Vitko had 37 assists and Blinn had a match-high six total blocks.

Bentley started out strong and won the opening set 25-23. The opening point was a kill by Wunder and they were off and running on their way to a 10-5 lead after the first 15 points. Rachel Vitko, Poehlein, Lauren McCloskey and Tory Vitko had kills in the opening stretch.

Ferris State battled back to eventually tie the set 16-16 and the teams traded points until it was 20-all. The next two Falcon points were kills by Poehlein as Bentley led 22-21. After a Bulldogs point, a kill by Wunder and an attack error by Ferris State's Olivia Henneman-Dallape gave Bentley set point.

The Bulldogs stayed alive on the next point, but on the ensuing point a kill by Rachel Vitko gave Bentely the first set at 25-23.

In the second set Ferris State jumped out to a 6-1 lead. The Falcons fought back with a 6-3 run to pull within 9-7, but that two-point deficit was as close as they could get the rest of the set as the Bulldogs tied the match 1-1 with a 25-16 win in set two.

Set three saw the Falcons stage a huge comeback to win the set and go ahead 2-1.

They trailed by eight points midway through the set at 15-7. But a huge 13-5 run saw the Falcons pull even at 20-20. Rachel Vitko had three straight kills during the early portion of the run and Poehlein had four kills, including on the point that tied the set 20-20.

An attack error on Ferris State gave Bentley a 21-20 lead to complete the comeback. Poehlein had kills for Bentley's 22nd and 23rd points of the set and a kill by Rachel Vitko, assisted by her sister Tory, gave them set point at 24-22.

An attack error on the Bulldogs gave Bentley the set win at 25-22.

The Bulldogs never trailed in the fourth set on their way to a 25-12 victory to force the decisive fifth set.

Lynn University defeated Wingate 3-0 in their quarterfinal match. The other semifinal on Friday will see the #3 seed Angelo State take on the #7 seed San Francisco State at 5:00 pm.