WALTHAM, Mass. –  The undefeated start for Post University Women's Volleyball came to a close on Thursday night in Waltham, Massachusetts, at the hands of Bentley University, an NCAA National Championship Semifinalist last season, in four sets, 3-1. Graduate outside hitter Kristina Peric inched closer to her 1,000th career kill, adding 29 more in the match, bringing her to within five kills of the milestone.

THE BASICS

Post University 1, RV Bentley University 3 

Post University (9-1)

RV Bentley University (8-4)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Peric was the only player for the Eagles to reach double-digit kills with her 29 and a .278 attack percentage, as freshman outside hitter Elyana Ortiz had seven kills, followed by five from sophomore middle blocker Alani Duncan. On the other side, sophomore outside hitter Sophia Poehlein led Bentley with 23 kills and an attack percentage of .500 after committing only one error. Freshman outside hitter Lulu Pavan was the only other double-digit killer for the Falcon, recording 11 on 35 attempts with nine errors.

Assisting their respective teams to those kill marks, it was sophomore setter Tory Vitko for Bentley coming away with 48 of the 55 assists in the match, along with a team-leading 16 digs. Graduate setter Alice DiFrancesco was equally as impressive with 38 assists for Post while tacking on 17 digs and three service aces.

Despite pulling within two points, 22-20, in the first set, the Eagles never held the lead or tied things up, dropping their first set since the fourth set on September 11th against Mercy University, before winning the next 13 sets they played. But turning things around in set two, a 6-0 run while trailing by one, courtesy of four kills from Peric, gave Post an 8-3 lead, which would not last long.

After cutting the deficit to three points, 10-7, three service aces from Vitko, two Peric errors, and a kill from Poehlein spearheaded a 6-0 run from Bentley that flipped the script on the set. When all was set and done, the second set would see 10 ties and six lead changes, and with their backs against the wall, junior middle blocker Nuri Shahid-Stevenson brought the Eagles within one, 24-23, before a Pavan kill put Bentley on the brink of victory with a two-set to none edge.

Having their best set of the match, a .297 attack percentage for the Post offensive in the third set, and helped them take a 7-1 lead straight out of the gate in part due to five attack errors by the Falcons, the only five they would have in the entire set. While Bentley would come back to tie the set at 17 all, four service errors down the stretch and two kills each from Peric and Ortiz kept the Eagles alive, 25-22, and forced a fourth set.

Down but never out, Post overcame multiple seven-point deficits, eventually using a 6-0 run to tie the set at 17, which led to them scoring five of the next eight points to put themselves on the brink of forcing a fifth set, 22-20. Putting an end to the undefeated start of the season, Poehlein's kill jump-started a set and game-ending run as the Falcons answered back with five straight points to win set four, 25-22, and the match, 3-1.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Kristina Peric is closing in on 1,000 career kills between her time at Quinnipiac University, American International College (AIC), and Post University – After 29 kills tonight, Peric now has 995 career kills
• Sitting at 2,078 career digs after tonight's match, Alyssa Groves is only 455 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
• Between her time at AIC and Post University, Alice DiFrancesco entered the night with 1,649 career assists, and with 38 assists tonight, sits just 303 assists away from 2,000 in her career
• Since winning their first-ever matchup against Bentley University in 2016, Post University has dropped its last six matchups to the Falcons in four sets or less

 
WHO'S NEXT
After sweeping them back on September 12th at home, Post University will now face Franklin Pierce University on the road tomorrow evening at 7:00 PM. That win earlier this season marked the first time since 2004 and only the third time in 18 matches in which the Eagles defeated the Ravens.