Lizzie Chu Tournament MVP
3
Winner Stevens Stev 26-5,7-1 MAC Freedom
1
DeSales DSU 19-13,8-0 MAC Freedom
Winner
Stevens Stev
26-5,7-1 MAC Freedom
3
Final
1
DeSales DSU
19-13,8-0 MAC Freedom
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Stevens Stev 25 25 25 25 (3)
DeSales DSU 22 15 27 19 (1)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Stevens Athletic Communications

Back-to-Back! Women’s Volleyball Wins Second Straight MAC Freedom Title

Ducks clinch spot in the NCAA Tournament for fourth time in last five seasons

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. (Nov. 6, 2021) – After a one-year hiatus from the MAC Freedom Tournament, the Stevens Institute of Technology women's volleyball team proved once again to be the top team in the conference as they took down DeSales University 3-1 Saturday at Billera Hall to win their second consecutive league title.

The Ducks grabbed a 25-22, 25-14, 25-27, 25-19 victory to clinch a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the 12th time in program history and avenge their only conference loss this season.

Senior Elizabeth Chu earned MAC Freedom Tournament MVP honors with 22 digs, six assists and an ace in the championship match after producing 15 digs in the semifinal win over DeSales.

Led offensively by double-digit kills from sophomore Liz Patterson, first-year Parker Adkins and junior Ava Smithing, Stevens improves to 26-5 this season while DeSales falls to 19-13 on the year.

Adkins produced a double-double in the victory with 11 kills and 14 digs as did senior setter Kathleen Riegner who produced 22 assists and 11 digs. With the 22 assists, Riegner becomes just the sixth student-athlete in program history to amass 2,000 career digs as she now has 2,008 in her four years on Castle Point.

Patterson, meanwhile, led all players with 15 kills while Smithing set a new season-high and finished just one shy of a career-high with 11 kills on just 20 swings in the win.

Inside the Numbers
  • Stevens held a huge advantage at the net in the match with a 10-5 edge in blocks and a 55-42 advantage in kills. It is the fifth time this season the Ducks have had double-digit blocks.
  • The Ducks put down nine aces in the contest while the Bulldogs had five.
  • Cleo Shannon and Elle Maggio were also effective offensively for Stevens, putting down nine and eight kills, respectively.
  • Enkhsanaa Enkhbayar nearly joined the double-double crew as she had 11 assists and eight assists in the win.
  • Stevens hit .185 in the match while holding DeSales to .116 to hold their fifth straight opponent under a .180 attack percentage.
  • Since joining the MAC Freedom prior to the 2019 season, Stevens has now won two MAC Freedom Tournament titles and holds a 18-1 record against conference competition.
  • Stevens improves to 9-3 in four-set matches this season.
  • It is the eighth time in the last nine seasons the Bulldogs have fallen in the conference title match.
  • Middle blockers Smithing and Meg Dion led the Duck defensive effort at the net as they both produced four blocks apiece.
Unsung Hero
  • As she has all season, sophomore Madison Sappia provided energy and a dynamic serve off the bench as she put down a pair of aces while adding six digs for the Ducks.
From the Sidelines (Head Coach Brianna Jones)
  • "What a fun match! We had an absolute blast and we worked hard every single point. That is a championship mentality!"
  • "I'm so proud of the way Lizzie played and led the team today. I'm also extremely happy to see Kathleen reach 2,000 assists. It's great to have your veterans step up in crunch time."
Next Up
  • Stevens will now await their fate for the NCAA DIII Championship as they make their fourth appearance in the last five seasons.
  • The NCAA DIII Women's Volleyball Selection Show will air live on NCAA.com at 12:30 p.m.
  • Live stats and video for every match of the NCAA Tournament will be available on StevensDucks.com.
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