WEST HAVEN, Conn. (November 14, 2014) – Making its second consecutive appearance in the Northeast-10 Championship semifinal round, the second-seeded Stonehill College volleyball team fell to No. 3 seed Bentley University, 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-18) this evening at the University of New Haven's Charger Gymnasium.

Bentley (18-10, 11-3 NE-10) advances to tomorrow night's championship contest to take on fourth-seeded Adelphi University at 5 p.m. Stonehill (21-7, 11-3 NE-10), which was ranked No. 3 in the latest NCAA East Region rankings, will likely earn its second bid to the NCAA Championship in program history. The NCAA selection show will air on NCAA.com Sunday night at 10 p.m.

Junior outside hitter Delia Phillips (St. James, New York/Smithtown East) led the Skyhawks with nine kills this evening, while classmate Kelsey Weymouth (North Attleboro, Massachusetts/North Attleboro) and senior middle blocker Mary-Kate Catton (San Diego, California/Academy of Our Lady of Peace) recorded seven kills each.

Senior setter Emily Iverson (Elmhurst, Illinois/York) dished out 26 assists to go with four digs, three kills, and two aces, while freshman libero Claire Manuszak (Indianapolis, Indiana/Bishop Chatard) finished with a team-high 11 digs.  

Senior setter Emily Iverson finished with 26 assists, four digs, three kills, and two aces in the third NE-10 semifinal match of her career.

Junior outside hitter Jaci Buscher (Lakewood, Colorado/Green Mountain) paced the Falcons with ten kills and ten digs, while sophomore middle blocker Ashley Latimer (Croton on Hudson, New York/Croton Harmon) tallied seven kills and a match-high five blocks (three solo).

Senior outside hitter Tatiana Froehlich (Newton, Massachusetts/Newton North) hit .350 with eight kills, and senior setter Alex Tator (Los Angeles, California/Marlborough School) handed out 31 assists to go with eight digs and three kills.

Bentley posted a .266 attack percentage in the match, including a .344 clip in the third set, while the Skyhawks hit just .162 with 35 kills and 17 errors in 111 total attempts.

Leading 10-9 early in the first set, the Falcons utilized a 7-1 run to take a commanding 17-10 lead. Stonehill fought back, winning four straight points as Bentley used a timeout leading 17-14. The Skyhawks then posted a 7-3 run to regain the lead at 21-20, before the Falcons tied it up again on a kill by senior outside hitter Kaleigh Sullivan (Naples, Florida/Harley School). Stonehill took the lead one final time on a kill by Phillips, before Bentley posted a 4-1 run to end the set.

The Falcons took control early in the second frame, leading 10-3 before a 4-0 Stonehill run brought the Skyhawks back to within three (10-7). Stonehill continued to fight back, but was unable to bring its deficit under five until a 5-0 run pulled the Skyhawks to within one (22-21). Bentley pushed its lead back to three on a Stonehill error and a service ace, then claimed the set on a kill by Froehlich following a kill by freshman middle blocker Katherine DeLanty (Smithtown, New York/Smithtown West).

Stonehill led 5-2 early in the must-win third frame, but a critical 7-0 run by the Falcons put the Skyhawks in a 9-5 hole. Stonehill would pull to within two (12-10) and later three (18-5), before Bentley used a 3-0 run to open a six-point lead. The Skyhawks would add three more points, but it was too late as the Falcons advanced with a 25-18 win in the third set.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks mobile app on iTunes and the Android Market.