WESTFIELD, Mass. – On Thursday, November 3, second-seeded Westfield State University volleyball will tip off against third-seeded Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) in a Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference semifinal matchup at the Woodward Center at 7:00 pm.
Westfield finishes this regular season 11-11 overall, and 6-1 in MASCAC games. MCLA enters this postseason with a regular season record of 15-7, 5-2 in MASCAC conference games.
The last matchup between these two teams ended in a Westfield sweep over MCLA in straight sets (25-22, 25-19, 25-23) led by the twin tandem of Ashley and Shawna Crowley (Billerica, Mass.) and their combined 22 kills. The first set was tightly contested, with the Owls capitalizing on an attack error from the Trailblazers that concluded the first set by a mere three-point differential. In the second set, the Crowley sisters combined on three consecutive plays to put the Trailblazers away 25-19. The final set witnessed four lead changes in the final 20 points. Following a Bridgette McAndrews service ace, the Trailblazers tied the game at 23 following an MCLA first-year Elizabeth Brown (Lee, Mass.) kill. Shawna Crowley answered with her match-leading 12th kill of the game to put the Owls at match point, resulting in an MCLA attack error on the match point that concluded the final set of the game.
The Owls have had solid production from multiple student-athletes on their roster this season. Shawna and Ashley Crowley lead the team in points earned at 198.5 and 190.5 points respectively. Shawna Crowley leads the team in kills with 167. First-year libero Allie Hill (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) leads the Owls in service aces with 39 on the year and leads the team in total digs with 295. Junior setter Julia Dangel-Garcia (Ashland, Mass.) leads the team in assists this season with 337 on the year.
The Owls' defense has been heavily reliant on the duo of junior Julia Bartiet (Chesire, Conn.) and sophomore Sarah Bingham (Reno, Nev.). Bingham has tallied 21 solo blocks and 23 block assists for 44 total blocks this season. Bartiet has totaled 13 solo blocks and 27 block assists. Bartiet and Bingham currently sit fourth and fifth respectively among MASCAC blocks per set leaders at 0.61 and 0.62.
In the conference ranks, Shawna Crowley averages the fifth-highest kills per set in the MASCAC at 2.32 and totaled the fifth-highest number of kills at 167. Allie Hill holds MASCAC's third-highest dig per set average at 3.93 and totaled the third-highest number of digs at 295. Julia Dangel-Garcia averages the third-highest assists per set in the MASCAC at 4.75.
For the Trailblazers, they also own real estate amongst MASCAC stat leaders. Sophomore right-side hitter Chloie Garber (Eagle River, Ark.) is one of the MASCAC's top finishers, holding the second-highest kills per set average at 3.36, and the second-highest total kills with 272. Garber is also the second-leading MASCAC server averaging 0.75 aces per set. First-year middle hitter Anais Badio is MASCAC's second leader in hitting percentage at .227. Sophomore left-back Ellie Walter-Goodspeed (Auburn, Wash.) leads the MASCAC in digs per set at 4.33 and totaled the second-highest amount of digs this season with 351. First-year setter Shannon O'Brien (Unionville, CT.) leads the MASCAC in assists per set at 6.63 and leads the MASCAC in total assists with 524.
The winner of this matchup will advance to the MASCAC championship final on Sunday, November 6 against the winner of the top-seeded Framingham State and fourth-seeded Worcester State, and will be played at the highest remaining seeded team's home venue.