The Bentley volleyball team is gearing up for its fourth consecutive NCAA Championship appearance as they prepare to take on Southern New Hampshire in the first round of the East Regional. Hosted in Garden City, NY by Adelphi, the Falcons have had a history of making it to the Championship since 2019. However, they have not made it out of the first round in their past three appearances, holding a 6-12 record since 2000. This year, Bentley has the chance to avenge their 2022 loss to Southern New Hampshire, as they topped them in both of their head-to-head matches during the 2023 regular season.
As the #3 seed in the East Region, Bentley will be facing off against #6 Southern New Hampshire, while #1 Adelphi takes on #8 Bridgeport, #2 New Haven battles #7 Mercy, and #4 American International plays #5 Daemen in the first round. Ingrid Murphy and Ellie Wheeler have been named to the All-Northeast-10 First Team for the second year in a row, and Bentley has been recognized as the second-best serving team in NCAA D-II, averaging 2.58 aces per set with Shaw leading the country with 2.80 aces per set. On the other hand, Southern New Hampshire leads the NE10 in blocks per set with players Alessandra Peli and Claire Wohlleber ranking third and fourth in the conference for blocks per set.
The Penmen also have Ana Pimenta, whose 3.21 kills per set ranks second in the NE10. Bentley’s upcoming match against Southern New Hampshire will be a highly anticipated rematch, and both teams will be putting their best foot forward to secure their place in the rest of the Championship.
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Photo credit bentleyfalcons.com
