Nov. 11, 2009

The River Hawk Report - Volleyball, Field Hockey and Women's Soccer in Post Season

UMass Lowell volleyball is set to host the Northeast-10 Tournament as the fourth-seed, facing the fifth-seeded Pace University Setters (17-10, 9-6 NE-10) in the quarterfinal round at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. The River Hawks finished the regular season with a 19-9 overall record and tied for third in the NE-10 with Bentley after posting an 11-4 mark in conference play.

In the its only meeting with the Setters this season, UMass Lowell won in four sets on Oct. 31. The River Hawks rode big games from seniors Elsa LeGrand (Highlands Ranch, CO) and Allie Eide (Gresham, OR). LeGrand tallied eight kills, six blocks and four digs, while the steadfast libero Eide amassed 24 digs and served three aces.

"We're thrilled to be hosting the NE-10 Tournament," said head coach Karen McNulty. "We'd like to go as far as we possibly can on our home court. We also know that what we do in the NE-10 Tournament will have a direct impact on whether or not we make the NCAA Tournament."

UMass Lowell's squad finished with the most wins since 2005, when the River Hawks posted a 19-10 campaign and finished 11-3 in conference--it was also the last time UMass Lowell made the NCAA Tournament.

"Position by position I think we're a better team than in 2005," McNulty said. "We have six solid players out there and a great libero. What doesn't compare is that the teams are better now. In 2005 there were a handful of teams that dominated the NE-10 and that's not the case here--anybody can beat anybody else."

Live video and statistics will be provided for all River Hawks' matches via the volleyball homepage. If UMass Lowell defeats Pace on Friday, it will await the winner of New Haven (24-4, 15-0) versus Southern Connecticut (25-9, 9-6) in the semifinals on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.