LAKEWOOD, N.J. -- Playing in their first Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Championship Match since the 2018 season against Holy Family University, it was a battle of the North and South Division top teams in Post University Women's Volleyball and Georgian Court University on Sunday afternoon on the Lions' campus in Lakewood, New Jersey. The Eagles, who were looking to capture their third CACC Championship in program history, would come out with momentum on their side as the road team but would be unable to sustain it through the match, falling in straight sets, 3-0, to the Lions. 

THE BASICS

Post University 0, Georgian Court University 3

Post University (20-11)

Georgian Court University (21-9)

HOW IT HAPPENED
With similarities to their meeting earlier in the month, Post jumped ahead by five points, 9-4, as senior middle blocker Hannah Brandt cranked out a couple of kills along with senior outside hitter Caley Harper and one each from graduate outside hitters Kristina Peric and Sara Enright. Ahead by a set-best six points, 16-10, following two kills from Peric and two service aces by junior libero Alyssa Groves, the Lions roared back into the set by scoring eight of the next ten points to tie the set at 18 all. Going on a 7-2 run to end the opening frame, Georgian Court turned a six-point deficit into a five-point victory, 25-20.

11 ties and four lead changes highlighted a close set two throughout its entirety but it would again be the final stretch which would be the undoing for Post. The Eagles nor the Lions would have more than a two-point advantage until Peric tied the set up at 18 all and Georgian Court responded with a 3-0 run on a service error from Groves, senior right-side hitter Martina Croce's service ace, and graduate outside hitter Nylene Mateo's kill to take a 21-18 lead. With the Lion lead cut down to one, 22-21, an Enright error and senior setter Amari Morales' service ace put Georgian Court on the doorstep of what would be a 25-22 win following a kill from CACC Tournament MVP senior middle blocker Chelsea Ross.

In what would be the third and final set of the CACC Championship Match, the Lions would never relinquish the lead after Ross scored the first point of the set for them although Post would pull even on six occasions. Threatening to pull away early was Georgian Court behind a 4-0 run to make it an 8-4 match but a 4-0 run led by Peric and Enright later on in the set made it an 11-11 tie. 10 points away from forcing a fourth set and with the score tied 15 all, three crucial errors by the Eagles aided in a 4-0 run for the Lions that put them ahead for good as they went on to finish the sweep with 25-20 win identical to the first set.

In all, Post would commit 17 errors in the match with seven coming in both the first and third sets while Georgian Court had seven the entire match and as a result attacked at a .291 clip on the day. Mateo led all players with 15 kills for the Lions on a .324 hitting percentage followed by Ross at 10 kills and a .500 hitting percentage for the winning squad. As for the Eagles, they were led by Peric's 13 kills on 30 attempts with only four errors for a .300 hitting percentage and Brandt's 11 kills on 17 attempts with only two errors and a .529 hitting percentage. 

For Post, Maria Fernanda Branco won the Top XVII Award at this weekend's CACC Tournament banquet while Kristina Peric, Alyssa Groves, Sara Enright, and Hannah Brandt all were named to the CACC All-Tournament Team following the end of the match. The Eagles finish the season with 20 wins, their most since the 2016 season in which they won 26 games and made it to the NCAA Tournament. In the final NCAA DII East Region Women's Volleyball Rankings, Post was not in the top ten after being tenth in the first release of the poll on November 14th meaning it is unlikely they will receive an At-Large Bid in the tournament during tomorrow night's Selection Show. 

BY THE NUMBERS 

• Hannah Brandt had an impressive day offensively for Post University, totaling up 11 kills on 17 attempts for a .529 attack percentage -- Kristina Peric led the Eagles with 13 kills and a .300 attack percentage 
• For the first time this season, Post University dropped a match when having an attack percentage above .200 for the entire match, they entered the game 15-0 this season in such situations while being 5-10 overall when having an attack percentage below .200 -- The Eagles attacked at a .203 clip this afternoon against Georgian Court University
• This was the first meeting between Post University and Georgian Court University in the CACC Championship in conference history 
• In program history, Post University is now 2-5 all-time in the CACC Championship Finals having won it in 2014 and 2015