United States Coast Guard Academy - Department of Athletics - Volleyball

CAMBRIDGE, MASS.—(11/6/09)—Senior Alex May had 21 kills leading top-seeded and host MIT to a 3-0 win (25-19, 25-20, 25-21) win over fourth-seeded Coast Guard in the semifinals of the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament.

Coast Guard (25-5), which made its ninth straight appearance in the NEWMAC semifinals, will now await word on a berth to the ECAC New England Tournament. The eight-team field will be announced on Monday.

The Bears went to the ECAC Tournament for five straight seasons (2001-2005) and again in 2007. Coast Guard won the ECAC Championship in 2002 and 2005. Last year, the Bears missed postseason play for the first time in eight years when they finished with a record of 14-16.

Tonight’s first set was back and forth with the largest lead being an 8-5 lead by MIT. Coast Guard took a 16-15 lead before the Engineers took control by running off eight of the next nine points to take a 23-17 on their way to a 25-19 win.

MIT (27-7) used a 5-1 spurt in the second set turning a 15-14 advantage into a 20-15 lead before Coast Guard responded with a 5-1 run of its own cutting the deficit to 21-20. The Engineers took control of the match by scoring the final four points of the set for the 25-20 win.

The Engineers jumped out to fast 5-1 lead in the third set, but the Bears roared back and took the lead 8-7. MIT scored 11 of the next 16 points to take its largest lead of the set at 18-13. Coast Guard scored the next three points to pull to within two at 18-16, but MIT would hold and close out the match with a 25-21 win.

Freshman Lauren Bloch led Coast Guard with 12 kills, sophomore Nicole Johnson added eight kills and junior Jessica Anderson led the way with 16 digs. Freshman Karen Matic had a team-high 21 assists to go with her six kills.

MIT beat the Bears in a five-set thriller 3-2 in New London during the regular season.