Volleyball Earns Top Seed in Region 21 Tournament; Faces Holyoke in Sunday Semifinal
After not having a volleyball program at Massasoit for more than three decades, the Warriors have made an impressive impact in Region 21 during their return season in 2019. Massasoit finished with a perfect 10-0 record against Region 21 divisional foes to earn the top seed of the Region 21 Tournament, hosted on Sunday by Holyoke Community College.
BROCKTON, Mass. ---- After not having a volleyball program at Massasoit for more than three decades, the Warriors have made an impressive impact in Region 21 during their return season in 2019. Massasoit finished with a perfect 10-0 record against Region 21 divisional foes to earn the top seed of the Region 21 Tournament, hosted on Sunday by Holyoke Community College.
Tournament Schedule – Sunday, Oct. 26
Semifinals
Game 1: 1 Massasoit vs 4 Holyoke – 11 AM
Game 2: 2 Northern Essex vs 3 Quinsigamond – 1 PM
Finals
Game 3: G1 Winner vs G2 Winner – 3 PM
MASSASOIT WARRIORS
Overall Record: 15-3
Region 21 Record: 10-0
Season Series vs Holyoke: W, 3-2; W, 3-0
Massasoit enters postseason action riding a six-match win streak and has captured victories in 12 of its last 13 contests. In addition, Massasoit has strung together four straight sweeps, having not lost a set since dropping the first set in a 3-1 victory at Northern Essex back on Oct. 5.
The Warriors have been led offensively from middle blocker Delaney Nagel of Stoughton, who has totaled a team-high 147 kills for the season for an average of 2.83 kills per set.
Setter Emmanuella Paul has been another bright spot for the Warriors this season. The Haiti native has totaled 295 assists, 101 digs, 49 service aces and 45 kills, filling up the Massasoit box score every match.
HOLYOKE COUGARS
Overall Record: 4-6
Region 21 Record: 4-6
The Cougars defeated Quinsigamond in their final match of the 2019 season to earn the fourth and final slot in the regional tournament.
HCC took Massasoit to five sets in the first meeting, in Holyoke, back on Oct. 3. When the Cougars made the visit to Brockton, the Warriors earned a 3-0 sweep.
Aysha Miller is the do-it-all middle blocker for the Cougars, averaging 3.05 kills per set for the season, and tops the team with 35 service aces.
NOTEBOOK
THE RETURN: The 2019 campaign is the first volleyball season at Massasoit since 1986. Massasoit won its only Region 21 Championship in volleyball during the 1984 season.
SWEEP CITY: Massasoit has 15 victories on the season, with 11 of them coming as 3-0 sweeps. In fact, Massasoit enters the regional tourney on a six-match win streak, featuring four consecutive sweeps.
NATIONAL RECOGNITION: The Warriors appeared in the most recent NJCAA poll this past Tuesday, receiving votes for the first time. Massasoit is the lone team from Region 21 to appear in the national poll.
FIRING ACES: Massasoit ranks eighth in the NJCAA in aces per set, serving up 3.82 per set. On the season, Massasoit has totaled 229 aces with five players recording 25-or-more, led by Emmanuella Paul's 49.