WATERBURY, Conn. – Although Post University Women's Volleyball continues to make it look easy, it was anything but easy on Thursday night for the Eagles at home against the University of Bridgeport in the Drubner Center. Looking to clinch their first outright CACC North Division title since 2018, Post overcame a first-set defeat to win the next three sets and take the match in four, 3-1, to lock up the top seed in the North Division. 

With three conference matches left, Post is still vying for the top seed overall in the CACC Tournament, currently leading Wilmington University by two games with the tiebreaker in hand. This means the Wildcats, who are 10-2 in conference play, would need to win out while the Eagles lost their last three matches to steal away the overall top seed. 

THE BASICS

Post University 3, University of Bridgeport 1

Post University (22-3, 11-0 CACC)

University of Bridgeport (7-17, 7-5 CACC)

HOW IT HAPPENED
In all but one set, Bridgeport would hang around, putting the pressure on the Eagles to make plays and stay ahead. The first set alone was made up of nine ties and seven lead changes, but a dominant stretch in which Post recorded eight of nine points, put them ahead by five, 19-14, and seemingly in control of the set. That was until 11 of the next 14 points went the way of the Purple Knights, and even after Post got within two of winning the set, 23-22, junior outside hitter Hailey Jessen's kill sparked a 3-0 set-ending run that gave Bridgeport the 25-23 win. 

Set two seemed to be all Eagles as well, bursting out to a 10-point lead, 19-9, warranting a timeout from longtime Bridgeport Head Coach Gary Mullin, which proved to be the reset the Purple Knights needed. Rattling off nine of the next 10 points, Bridgeport pulled within one, 20-19, forcing Head Coach Tiffany Verni to call a timeout and regroup. Twice more the Eagles would see their lead dwindle to one, including a 23-22 edge, before graduate outside hitter Kristina Peric delivered back-to-back kills to tie the match up with a 25-22 win in set two. 

That momentum trickled over into set three as Post scored the first seven points of the set, four of which came via service aces from sophomore outside hitter Rayssa Satlher, who finished the match with seven. That run alone would be enough for the Eagles to coast to an easy 25-14 victory in set three, leading by as many as 12 points on two occasions, putting them on the brink of the CACC North Division title.

Trading leads throughout set four, Bridgeport looked prime to force a deciding fifth set as another lengthy 8-1 run flipped a three-point deficit into a three-point lead, 20-17, in which Post responded with a 4-0 run of their own to regain the lead. Yet again, the Purple Knights answered the call, putting the Eagles on the brink, 23-21, following a 3-0 run of their own. But a service error from senior defensive specialist Kenyce Johnson proved to be the catalyst for the match-ending 4-0 run that Post would go on. Peric would follow it up with three kills, including the game winner, which was set up by a diving dig by senior libero Alyssa Groves to keep the point alive, sending the Eagles to the division title in four sets, 25-23. 

With three matches remaining in the regular season, Groves, who finished the match with 27 digs, is now only 89 digs away from surpassing Regina Trabosh for the most digs in conference history, having at minimum four matches this year to do it in and as many as six matches if the Eagles make a run all the way to the CACC Championship Game. Graduate setter Alice DiFrancesco returned to form with another double-double, leading the way with 33 assists and 12 digs, while Peric had 19 kills and a .226 hitting percentage to go along with it.

Freshman outside hitter Madison Mohan had a monster game for Bridgeport, teeing off for a game-high 17 kills with a .310 attack percentage, followed by Jessen with 12 kills and a .082 attack percentage as the only two Purple Knights to reach double-digits on the offensive. As a team, Bridgeport attacked at just .115 for the match, committing 30 attack errors, 10 of which came from freshman outside hitter Layla Woods alone. Freshman setter Camdyn Cieszkiewicz led with 42 assists, and junior libero Elaine DeLallo paced the defense with 27 digs.

Post's defense answered the call as well, combining for 16 block assists and two solo blocks, while three players in Groves, DiFrancesco, and Peric finished with double-digit digs. The Eagle attack closed with a .148 attack percentage, committing 21 errors in addition to 11 service errors, but that mark was matched by 12 service errors from the Purple Knights. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• Sitting at 2,434 career digs after tonight's match, Alyssa Groves is only 89 digs away from surpassing Chestnut Hill College's Regina Trabosh for the most digs in CACC history, with 2,533 career digs from 2013-16
• Thursday's win marks the first time in program history that Post University has won back-to-back matches against the University of Bridgeport -- The Eagles lost the first 15 all-time matchups between 2002 and 2022
• Claiming the CACC North Division crown, this is the first time since the 2018 season in which Post University has outright won the North Division -- Last season, the Eagles tied the University of Bridgeport atop the CACC North, but took the top seed via tiebreaker
• At 22-3 this season, Post University is off to its best start since the 2016 season, in which they began the year with a 24-3 record before ending the season 26-6 -- That year also coincides with the only season the Eagles were undefeated at home, going a perfect 13-0, whereas this year they are currently 9-0 at home with four matches left following tonight's win 

WHO'S NEXT
Post University celebrates Senior Day on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM as the Eagles take on Holy Family University in the Drubner Center. In their matchup last season, Post was swept on the road by the Tigers, 3-0, and has lost six of the last seven matchups dating back to the 2018 season.