FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team clinched a spot in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Postseason Tournament Saturday evening with a home sweep of Niagara at the William H Pitt Center.
With the victory, the Pioneers move into a tie with the Purple Eagles in fifth in the standings at 9-6. SHU is one match out of fourth place, which would give them a bye into the second round of the postseason tournament.
Camryn Luginbuhl was unstoppable in the win, setting a new three-set program record for points with 27.0 and tying her own three-set program-best for kills with 24. On the night before Senior Day, the outstanding outside hitter swung at a .375 clip on 48 attempts, helping to lead SHU to a comfortable win over the fifth-ranked team in the conference.
Gaby Zovko had a patented all-around outing, recording 36 assists, four kills, four digs, and three blocks.
Records:
Sacred Heart: 13-14, 9-6 MAAC
Niagara: 13-13, 9-6 MAAC
Top Performers:
Camryn Luginbuhl: 24 kills, 4 digs, 27.0 points, .375 hitting percentage
Gaby Zovko: 36 assists, 4 kills, 4 digs, 3 blocks
Allison Murray: 7 kills, 7 digs
How It Happened:
The Pioneers wasted no time bursting out to an early 8-4 lead in the opening set, using a 4-0 run fueled by two kills from
Allison Murray. The Pioneers kept the pressure up, building its lead to six, 15-9 by the media timeout in the first. SHU did not look back from there, never letting its lead dip below five before winning the frame 25-15.
Niagara took the early lead in the second set, going up 7-5 through 12 points. The two teams then traded points until a 5-1 Pios surge put the home team ahead 14-12. Luginbuhl tallied three kills in the run, as Zovko capped it with an ace. Another 5-1 run followed, which featured a pair of Luginbuhl aces, setting SHU's lead at 19-14. Some back-and-forth play followed until the Pioneers clinched a 25-20 win with a Purple Eagles' service error.
With the win in sight, Sacred Heart burst out of the gates in the third, forcing a Niagara timeout after taking a 12-4 advantage. SHU's lead got back to eight by the 22-14 mark, but the Purple Eagles were ready with a 4-0 run to cut it to four, 22-18. Despite the surge from the visitors, the Pios were not going to be stopped tonight, as they sealed the sweep with a 25-20 win in the third to book their appearance in the postseason.
Up Next:
Sacred Heart welcomes Canisius tomorrow at 3 p.m. for Senior Day at the Pitt Center.
