ROCHESTER, N.Y.- The Juniata women's volleyball team needed five sets to come back and topple Babson, 3-2 (22-25, 25-19, 25-16, 26-28, 15-8), to advance to the Sweet 16, Saturday afternoon on the campus of Rochester Institute of Technology in the NCAA Tournament Regional semifinal.
The Beavers took the opening set as they held the Eagles to their lowest hitting percentage in a single set in the match (.065) while hitting their best (.196).
The second set saw the teams trade points early, with the Beavers making it 2-2 with a kill. The Eagles blew the set open with a 9-0 explosion. Aly Reardon (Downingtown, Pa. / Downingtown West HS) tallied a kill, the Beavers committed an error, Lily Podolan (Columbus, Ohio / Worthington Kilbourne) and Grace Erskine (Mooresville, N.C. / Community School of Davidson) put down kills, Olivia Foley (Coldwater, Mich / Coldwater HS) served up an ace, and Podolan mashed a kill which saw Babson call timeout. Victoria Taylor (Middletown, Del. / Delaware Military Academy) added a kill, Foley added another ace, and the Beavers committed an attack error to make it 11-2. Babson got within four twice, including at 23-19, before two straight kills from Reardon ended the set, 25-19.
The third set was tight early on, with the Beavers retaking the lead at 8-9 following a 3-0 run. Juniata closed the set on a 13-7 run to claim the set and take a two sets to one lead in the match. With the score at 21-16, Reardon tallied a kill, Mackenzie Coley (Norco, Calif. / Norco HS) got a solo block before she paired with Foley for a block to end the set at 25-16.
The Beavers jumped out to a 3-8 lead as they tried to force a fifth set, but JC battled their way back, and Reardon's kill made it 12-12. The teams went back and for with, before Babson managed to squeak ahead to set point late, 21-24. A Reardon kill followed by one from Taylor and another block from Foley and Coley made it 24-24. The Beavers called timeout and went on to take the set 26-28.
The fifth set was as tightly contested as one would expect, with both teams leaving it all on the floor as players were diving all over the place. The teams were tied at 6-6 when JC started to find their groove. Foley found Erskine, who got to the ball and put it down before the Beaver defense knew what happened. On the next point towards the end of the rally, Babson tried to place a ball in the back right corner of the JC defense. Kennedy Christy (Saxonburg, Pa. / Knoch HS) managed to get an arm to it to keep the ball alive, Foley did an impressive job setting the ball while lunging forward, before Reardon smashed the ball cross-court, and the Beavers couldn't handle it to make it 8-6. Christy's next serve skimmed the net and landed perfectly in the middle of the Babson defense to increase the JC lead to three.
The Beavers took the next two points to narrow the gap to one, and Juniata called timeout. Erskine put a kill off the Babson middle's head, Kiona Sky Rousset-Hernandez (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico / Colegio Bautista de Carolina HS) served up an ace, and Reardon put down her 13th kill to make it 12-8. Babson called timeout, but to no avail. They committed an attack error, and Rousset-Hernandez did the rest from the service line. Two straight aces, and the Eagles won the set 15-8 and the match.
ACE TO END IT!!�� Fire us up @JuniataWVB ��
— Juniata Athletics (@JuniataEagles) November 13, 2021
Eagles are moving on after a great team win defeating Babson 3-2 #GoEagles #WingsUp #TakingFlight #NCAARegionals pic.twitter.com/pkpEUUuSM7
Juniata had 125 digs as a team, their most digs in a match since 2017 against Carnegie Mellon. They also had 18 aces as a team, the most they have had since 2015 against Christopher Newport.
Juniata will take Wesleyan (Ct.) tomorrow at 1:00 pm in the regional final.
