WATERBURY, Conn. – History and a sweep. For senior libero Alyssa Groves, it could not have been a better end to her career with Post University Women's Volleyball in the Drubner Center. While the top-seeded Eagles advanced to the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Semifinals for a second consecutive season with a 3-0 sweep over South Division four-seed Jefferson University, Groves made conference history with 15 digs.

The senior surpassed Chestnut Hill College's Regina Trabosh for the most digs in CACC history, as Trabosh had 2,533 career digs from 2013-16 for the Griffins. Post now heads to the campus of Goldey-Beacom College to take on South Division two-seed Holy Family University, who swept North Division three-seed Felician University later this evening, at 12:00 PM in the CACC Semifinals as the highest remaining seed in the CACC Tournament.

THE BASICS

Post University 3, Jefferson University 0

Post University (25-4)

Jefferson University (12-13)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Nothing could stop the Eagles in the first set as they ran out to a 13-0 lead as the Rams committed nine attack errors during the match-opening run. Trouncing Jefferson, 25-8, graduate outside hitter Kristina Peric had six kills on 10 attempts for a .500 attack percentage, which is where she would end up hovering around most of the night.

In contrast, the offensive attack of the Rams committed 14 errors, holding a -.345 attack percentage, led by eight errors from freshman outside hitter Alexa Pomeroy alone, who had a -.615 attack percentage at the end of the first set. Post's offense rumbled their way to a .526 attack percentage in that opening frame with only one error and seven total blocks.

Although the Rams would jump ahead first in set two, things instantly shifted back in favor of Post, who went ahead by five, 9-4, following a 6-1 run, using that momentum to move within one set of the CACC Semifinals with a 25-12 victory.

Errors continued to plague Jefferson with a -.148-attack percentage as they had only seven kills total through two sets compared to 21 errors on 56 total attempts. Peric continued her dominance, as did the Eagles in general, with a .333 attack percentage, as the graduate student rattled off seven more kills and held a .524 attack percentage at that point.

Groves' historic mark would come on the very first point of set three as her ninth dig of the match gave her the CACC all-time record for career digs. But the Rams looked to steal her thunder, leading by as many as seven points on two occasions, before Post looked to dig itself out of the hole.

Slowly whittling away at the deficit, Peric's kill would tie the set at 23 all, and the ensuing service ace by her would put the Eagles on the brink of the sweep. After the Rams answered back to take the lead with back-to-back kills from Pomeroy and junior outside hitter Emily McKenna, two consecutive errors and a service ace by sophomore outside hitter Alexa Arnold shut the door on the sweep with a 26-24 win.

It also shut the door on a historic night for Peric, who had 20-plus kills for the 16th time this season, finishing with 21 kills and a career-high .500 attack percentage, breaking her .393 career-high from the previous match. Equally as impressive was sophomore middle blocker Alani Duncan with an .875 attack percentage with seven kills on eight attempts.

As a team, Post attacked at a season-best .400 clip led by Peric and Duncan, but graduate setter Alice DiFrancesco, in addition to her 31 assists, also was a perfect 4-for-4 on attacks. Although McKenna would finish leading the Rams with seven kills, 24 attack errors in the match for Jefferson gave them a -.058 attack percentage for the match, with their best set coming in the third when they swung at a .030 with 12 kills and only three errors.

The sweep for Post marked the first time since the 2014 and 2015 season in which they have gone 3-0 against the Rams, while also marking the first time they have won three consecutive matches in the all-time series against them.


BY THE NUMBERS

• Alyssa Groves recorded 15 digs in tonight's match, surpassing Chestnut Hill College's Regina Trabosh for the most digs in CACC history, who had 2,533 career digs from 2013-16
• For the 16th time this season, Kristina Peric topped 20 kills, closing with 21 kills and a career-high .500 attack percentage in the victory
• As a team, Post University recorded 41 kills to go along with a season-best .400 attack percentage in the sweeping victory
• The win over Jefferson University marks the first time in program history in which Post University has won three consecutive matches against the Rams, and the first time since 2015 that they have swept them – The Eagles swept Jefferson in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons as part of two of their three victories up to that point

WHO'S NEXT
Post University will head to the CACC Semifinals hosted by Goldey-Beacom College to take on South Division two-seed Holy Family University at 12:00 PM on Saturday. This will be a rematch from just two weeks ago when the Tigers defeated the Eagles in the Drubner Center in five sets, 3-2, after trailing 2-1 after three sets.