CCC Champions: Endicott Sweeps WNE 3-0 to Claim CCC Title

BEVERLY, Mass. – Chasing the program's first title since 2008, the Endicott women's volleyball team swept Western New England 3-0 to claim the fifth Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) title in program history. The Gulls, now 22-11 on the season, turn their attention to the 2016 NCAA DIII Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament.

After jumping out to an 8-2 lead in the first, the Golden Bears would rally to cut the score to 18-16 mid-way through the set before a late run by the Gulls would secure a 25-20 win. With a 1-0 lead, the Gulls again jumped out to a quick lead, going up 10-4 before Western New England would fight back to take a 15-14 lead. Endicott's offense would turn it on late as the Gulls hit .385 in the second set to take a 2-0 lead with a 25-19 win.

The script would flip a bit in the third as the score would be tied seven times throughout the set with 12-12 being the latest tie. Endicott would slowly pull away, holding a one point lead at 17-16 before claiming the third set 25-19 on a block by Tori McIntyre (San Diego, Calif.) and Emily Diezemann (Peabody, Mass.) to clinch the title.

Endicott's offense proved to be too much to handle for Western New England as the Gulls posted 48 kills while hitting .291 as a team to 27 kills and a .091 average for the Golden Bears.

Outsides Tori McIntyre and Emma Mancini (Lynnfield, Mass.) combined for 29 kills on the match as both players hit over .400 in the contest.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Mancini, whose 16 kills fell two shy of her career high, hit .412 for the match after posting a 16-2-34 line. The sophomore also picked up 11 digs in the win for the first double-double of her career. For the Tournament, Mancini averaged 3.89 kills per set and 2.11 digs per set while hitting .322.
• McIntyre, the two-time CCC Player of the Year, hit .407 as she notched 13 kills with just two errors on 27 attempts to go with eight digs. The senior was outstanding in the postseason, averaging 4.78 kills per set and 3.11 digs per set while posting a .370 average.
• Libero Erika Trudon, who earlier in the week earned All-CCC Third Team honors, finished the match with 14 digs as she has posted double-digit dig efforts in all three rounds of the CCC Tournament, averaging 4.22 digs per set.
• Setters Mareena Clotfelter (Poulsbo, Wash.) and Zoey Gifford (Natick, Mass.) ran the Endicott offense well, combining for 40 assists in the three set victory. Clotfelter led the Gulls with 23 assists and four digs while Gifford produced 17 assists and six digs in the sweep.
• Opposites Lauren Sheehan (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) and Remi Quesnelle (Sunderland, Mass.) both played well as the duo recorded 16 kills and two assist blocks for the match.
• The Gulls swept through the entire CCC Tournament, posting 3-0 wins over #8 Curry, #5 Salve Regina and #3 Western New England. During the team's last title run in 2008, the Gulls also swept through the tournament, sweeping Regis, Roger Williams and Colby-Sawyer

FOR THE FOES

• All-CCC middle Carly Skibinski (Milford, N.J.) led the Golden Bears with eight kills on the match to go along with two assist blocks.
• Outsides Emmaline Chiodini (Saint Louis, Mo.) and Cassandra Holmes (Ellington, Conn.) combined for 11 kills, with Chiodini recording six kills and 10 digs, and Holmes pitching in five kills.
• Libero Brianna Roath (Jackson, N.J.) led all WNE players with 11 digs, while defensive specialist Torie Howdeshell (Fairbanks, Alaska) chipped in five digs and a match-high six aces.
• The Golden Bears finish their season with a record of 21-10 after getting back to the CCC Title match under first year head coach, and 2011 graduate, Samantha Shomo.

WHAT'S NEXT

With the win, Endicott has claimed the CCC automatic bid to the 2016 NCAA DIII Women's Volleyball Tournament. The Selection Show will take place on Monday morning as the Gulls will find out where they will travel and when. Stay tuned for updates from ECGulls.com. 

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