DARTMOUTH, Mass. -Â One of the best seasons in program history for the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth volleyball team came to a close Tuesday night at the Tripp Athletic Center against UMass Boston, 3-2 (16-25, 25-21, 25-14, 18-25, 15-7).
Sophomore
Kate Wade led the way with nine kills and 19 digs, while junior
Devon Laing finished with nine kills and 13 digs and junior
Gabriella Monico had seven kills. Freshman
Emily Pogorelec tallied 14 digs to finish the season with a conference-leading 470 digs and 5.0 digs per set.
With the score even at 14 in the first set, back-to-back kills by Wade sparked an 11-2 run to take a 1-0 match lead. The defending LEC Champion Beacons responded by winning the next two sets to put the Corsairs' backs against the wall.
UMass Dartmouth raced ahead to a 15-8 lead in the fourth set. UMass Boston then went on a 7-3 run to close the gap to 18-15. Wade spiked a kill to jumpstart a 7-3 run for the Corsairs to even the match at two and force a fifth set.
UMass Boston used its experience and raced ahead to a 5-1 advantage in the fifth set. The Corsairs would cut their deficit to 7-5, but the Beacons pulled away with an 8-2 run to finish things off.
It was the third-time ever that UMass Dartmouth hosted an LEC Tournament game, joining the 2000 and 2001 teams. The Corsairs also defeated West Conn and swept East Conn for the first time in program history.
The team will look to build off its success from this season and is expected to return all but one player in 2023.
