Volleyball’s Historic Season Ends at District Tourney

BROCKTON, Mass. ---- The Massasoit women's volleyball team took nationally-ranked Fashion Institute of Technology to five sets but ran out of steam and then fell in straight sets to Queensborough CC at the NJCAA Division III Northeast District Tournament held at the Peter Asiaf Field House.

The Warriors conclude their first season of volleyball in 33 years with an overall record of 17-5, having won the Region 21 Championship last weekend.

Match 1: FIT 3, Massasoit 2
S1: FIT 25, MCC 22; S2: MCC 25, FIT 14; S3: MCC 25, FIT 21; S4: FIT 25, MCC 22; S5: FIT 15, MCC 7

Massasoit was swept by FIT (26-1) in both meetings during the regular season, but would not go down without a fight against the nation's fourth-ranked team.

The Warriors had the Tigers on the brink in the first match of the district tourney, leading 2-1 in games and up 22-21 in the fourth set. However, FIT rallied to score the last four points to steal the frame and even the match.

In the fifth and deciding set, Massasoit trailed 6-4 before tying it up at 6-all. From there, unfortunately, it was all FIT, utilizing a 9-1 run to claim the set and match.

The Warriors posted two players with double-doubles, as Emmanuella Paul (Brockton) dished out 23 assists and had 14 digs and Stephanie Pierre-Louis (Brockton) tallied 13 kills and 11 digs in the loss.

At the libero position, Caroline Curtis (Holbrook) recorded a career-high 26 digs on the back row.

Match 2: Queensborough 3, Massasoit 0
S1: QCC 25, Massasoit 13; S2: QCC 25, Massasoit 15; S3: 25-8

The heart-breaking loss in the first match proved too much to overcome against the Region 15 Champion Queensborough Tigers (23-5), falling in straight sets.

Massasoit led in the first set 10-9, but the Tigers went on a 9-0 run that set the tone for the rest of the match, claiming the first stanza, 25-13, en route to the 3-0 victory.

Emmanuella Paul recorded nine assists and seven digs, while Stephanie Pierre-Louis posted five kills and nine digs.

Both Queensborough and FIT advanced to the NJCAA National Tournament, held in Rochester, Minn., from Nov. 14-16.