Five-Set Thriller Over Salve Regina Sends Volleyball to CCC Semis

BOSTON – Suffolk volleyball had a flare for the dramatic in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Quarterfinals Tuesday night as the fourth-seeded Rams, won the first set, fell in the next two, and powered through to take down the fifth-seeded Seahawks of Salve Regina at Larry E. and Michael S. Smith Court. The victory came via set scores 25-20, 24-26, 14-25, 25-15 and 15-11.  

THE BASICS
SCORE: Suffolk 3 | Salve Regina 2
RECORDS: Suffolk (19-9) | Salve Regina (15-9)  

SET ONE RECAP (25-20, SUFFOLK)

• Down 10-7, a block by Alina Nowakowski and Harmony Johnson jump started a 6-0 Suffolk stretch that gave the host a 13-10 lead. That run featured kills from Emily Wheeler and McKenna Keowen and an ace from Jayla Martinez. 
• Out of the Seahawks first timeout of the frame, the Rams kept their feet on the gas pedal as they turned that three-point edge into a seven-point cushion, 19-12. 
• Suffolk pushed its advantage to as many as nine, 21-12, before Salve Regina surged back behind a 7-1 spurt that chipped the Rams cushion down three, 22-19.
• Scott Blanchard used a timeout wisely as the blue-and-gold came out of the huddle with a 3-1 set-ending run. Kills from Keowen and Nowakowski bookend the rally. 

SET TWO RECAP (26-24, SALVE REGINA)

• From an 8-all tie, Nowakowski sparked three straight Suffolk points with her second kill of the night to give the host a slim 11-8 lead. 
• The Rams remained in front and used another 3-0 stretch to build a four-point distance, 16-12. Grace Cervenka and Jasmine James combined for a block to get the rally, that featured an ace by Kenzley Bell and Keowen kill, going. 
• The Seahawks flew back out of their first timeout of the second stanza as the visitors outscored the host, 7-2 to level the playing field for the seventh time in the set at 19-all. 
• Suffolk scored the first two points out of its own time to restore its lead. 
• The Seahawks responded with back-to-back points to level the playing field, but did not stop there as SRU scored two more to turn on set point, 24-21. 
• Wheeler kept the Rams hopes alive as the junior captain turned in her fifth kill of the night. That ignited Suffolk to come back and even things up for the ninth time in the frame at 24-24.  
• A service error followed by an attack mishap from the host gave the visitors the frame, 26-24. 

SET THREE RECAP (25-14, SALVE REGINA)

• After Salve Regina broke a 3-all set to take the lead, the Seahawks jumped ahead 11-7 and never looked back to make it a 2-1 match in their favor.  

SET FOUR RECAP (25-15, SUFFOLK)

• Suffolk dug itself out of a 7-5 hole. Johnson and Isabelle Huzar teamed up for a block to equalize the set at 7-all, before Chloe Clement's first kill of the night pushed the blue-and-gold in front, 8-7. 
• Clement stayed on her a-game, contributing five more kills, to help the host take an 18-10 advantage. 
• Things evened out following Salve Regina's second timeout of the set, however, the Rams eight-point lead paid off for the blue-and-gold. 

SET FIVE RECAP (15-11, SUFFOLK)

• Salve Regina scored the first three points of the final frame. 
• The Rams responded with a 4-0 run of their own to flip the script, 4-3. 
• The score tied twice and the lead flipped back-and-forth before three unanswered points from the blue-and-gold gave Suffolk a 9-6 advantage. 
• Out of an SRU timeout, the Rams stretched the margin to five, 11-6. 
• The Seahawks attempted to battle back with another 3-0 spurt to pull within two, 11-9. 
• Blanchard used a timeout to calm his squad down. The huddle helped as the Rams came out of the break with another three straight points to make it set and match point, 14-9. 
• Salve Regina had one last burst of energy with back-to-back points before Clement's seventh kill of the night sealed the victory for Suffolk.  

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

• Keowen was all over the stat sheet with19 kills, 15 digs, two blocks and two aces. 
• Clement finished with seven kills, one assist and one dig in just two sets played. 
• Wheeler and Nowakowski each supplied six kills. The latter added pair of blocks, as well as one dig. 
• Johnson set-up the attack with 36 assists to go along with 10 digs, two kills and one ace. 
• Bell registered 25 digs, six assists, one ace and one kill. 
• Kelsey chipped in seven digs and four aces.

NOTEWORTHY

• Suffolk hosted its first-ever CCC playoff game. 
• The Rams hosted its third-ever conference postseason outing.
• Suffolk moved to 2-1 when hosting a league tournament match. 
• The Rams have won their last two home playoff contests. 
• The blue-and-gold is unbeaten, 2-0, when hosting a conference tournament match in the Blanchard era. 
• Suffolk played a five-set match in the playoffs for the second time in program history, first time since the 1999 GNAC Quarterfinals, Oct. 21, 1999, when the Rams fell to Simmons, 3-2. 
• Suffolk won its first five-set match in the postseason. 
• Suffolk escaped the quarterfinals for the third time in program history, first since 2019, and first in the CCC bracket. 
• Suffolk improved to 3-3 all-time in postseason play with Blanchard on the sideline. 
• The Rams captured their first CCC postseason victory. 
• The Rams met the Seahawks in the conference postseason for the first time. 
• The blue-and-gold defeated Salve Regina for the second time in as many meetings and second time in program history to level the all-time series at 2-2. 
• Suffolk is unbeaten, 2-0, when playing Salve Regina at its home court. 
• The Rams moved to 2-1 versus the Seahawks under Blanchard's guidance. 
• Suffolk and Salve Regina went to five sets for the second time in program history, first since the inaugural meeting, Aug. 13, 2013. 
• The Rams defeated the Seahawks in five sets for the first time. 
• Suffolk moved to 1-1 versus SRU in five-set matches. 
• With its 20th victory of the year, Suffolk tied the program win mark, which was set in 2019 (20-12). 
• Bell moved into second all-time on Suffolk's all-time digs list, surpassing Dakhensey Marcellus's mark of 1,074 digs. The senior captain now owns 1,078 career digs. 
• Keowen tallied her fifth double-double of the year. 
• Johnson recorded her 11th collegiate double-double, fourth of the season. 

POST-MATCH PIC
  

WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk advances to the CCC Semifinals Thursday, Nov. 3 and will face top-seed Gordon, who swept eighth-seed University of New England in the quarterfinals.