CCC TOURNAMENT: Gulls Named No. 3 Seed In Upcoming CCC Volleyball Championship

CCC WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL PAIRINGS RELEASE

CCC INTERACTIVE BRACKET

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.- After eclipsing the 20-win plateau this past Saturday and finishing the regular season with a 21-9 (6-2 CCC) record, the Endicott women's volleyball team has been named the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) tournament as was announced by the Conference Commissioner on Saturday.

The championship tournament will begin on Tuesday with two quarterfinal matches on campus sites of the highest seeds in each of the two matches. No. 3 Endicott will host No. 6 University of New England while No. 4 Western New England will host No. 5 Salve Regina. Both matches are slated to start at 7:00 p.m.

PREVIOUS MATCHUP: In the regular season meeting between the two squads in Biddeford, Maine, Endicott claimed a 3-0 sweep behind a dominant offensive team performance that was led by middle Hayley Knapp (Valencia, Calif.) who hit .571 as she notched 14 kills on 21 swings while also posting six assist blocks.

PLAYOFF HISTORY: The Gulls and Nor'Easters have met five times previously in CCC postseason play, with Endicott winning all five of those matchups. Most recently, Endicott knocked off UNE on November 4, 2014 in CCC Quarterfinal play, 3-1 at home. Endicott is 21-3 all-time against UNE, having last lost a five set decision in 2012. The Gulls have won 21 of the previous 22 meetings dating back to 1999.

POST SEASON HISTORY: Endicott has now advanced to the CCC tournament for 17 consecutive seasons dating back to 1999. Within that span, the Gulls have appeared in eight CCC Championship matches, claiming four of them, all under head coach Tim Byram who is now in his 16^th year at the helm.

ENDICOTT (21-9, 6-2 CCC) | SCHEDULE| STATISTICS: The Gulls finished the season having reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 2013 season, and posted a 6-2 record in CCC play for the third time in the last four years. The Gulls are led by junior Tori McIntyre (San Diego, Calif.) who leads the team with 301 kills while also grabbing 300 digs, good for second on the team. Fellow outside Lauren Sheehan (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) finished second in kills with 294 as the sophomore has experienced a breakout season in 2015. Middle Hayley Knapp (Valencia, Calif.) leads the team with a .290 hitting percentage on the season while setters Alleigh VandeMerkt (Riverside, Ill.) and Mareena Clotfelter (Poulsbo, Wash.) finished with 607 and 447 assists, respectively in leading the Gulls to a .194 hitting percentage on the year. Libero Cydney Pierce (Santa Barabara, Calif.) finished the regular season with 528 digs, good for second in the CCC.

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND (6-16, 3-5 CCC) | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS: The Nor'Easters advanced to the post season after finishing 3-5 in CCC play and 6-16 overall. The visitors are led by Courtney Lambrese (Cranston, R.I.) who finished the regular season with a team-high 216 kills and a .193 average. The middle is joined by Grayson Szczepaniak (Lakewood, Ohio), who finished with 196 kills, as the only two players to finish with over 150 in 2015. Setters Kristen Falcinelli (Silver Spring, Md.) and Brooke Gibbons (Miami, Fla.) finished with 351 and 278 assists, respectively, while libero Brittany Morrison (Rosemount, Minn.) led the team with 294 digs.

2015 CCC VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
All Start Times Subject to Change

Quarterfinals • Tuesday, November 3
#6 University of New England (6-14, 3-5) at #3 Endicott (19-9, 6-2), 7:00 p.m.
#5 Salve Regina (11-15, 5-3) at #4 Western New England (12-12, 5-3), 7:00 p.m.

Semifinals • Thursday, November 5
#4/5 winner at #1 Roger Williams (16-11, 8-0), TBA
#3/6 winner at #2 Gordon (19-9, 6-2), TBA

Championship Match • Saturday, November 7
Semifinal Winners, TBA (at higher seed)