Wellesley Volleyball Falls To Babson In NCAA Regional Semifinal, 3-0

BABSON PARK, Mass. -- Senior Yasmine Reece (New Rochelle, N.Y.) had a match-high 17 kills and classmate Samantha Hoang (Elk Grove, Calif.) added a match-high 16 digs, but Wellesley College volleyball dropped a 3-0 (27-25, 26-24, 25-15) final to host Babson College in the Regional Semifinals of the 2018 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship on Saturday at Staake Gymnasium.

• Following the conclusion of play on Sunday 11/11/18, Reece was named to the Babson Park Regional All-Tournament Team. The complete list of All-Tournament honorees can be found below. 

Wellesley ends their 2018 campaign with a record of 21-7 overall. The Blue are now 18-14 all-time in NCAA Tournament play. Babson improves to 25-8 overall with the victory over their New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) rivals and will play Bowdoin in the Regional Final on Sunday afternoon.

Senior Michelle Li (Scarsdale, N.Y.) had 33 assists for the Blue, as seven different Wellesley attackers in total finished with kills. Sophomore Lauren Gedney (Huntersville, N.C.) chipped in with seven kills, while senior Samantha Ostenso (Hopkins, Minn.) and sophomore Darina Postupaka (Tinley Park, Ill.) each finished with five. Senior Ashley Peng (San Diego, Calif.) added nine digs.

Sophomore Allie Puccio (New Hartford, N.Y.) totaled 14 kills to lead Babson, hitting .419 for the match. Junior Kristin Carosotto (East Greenwich, R.I.) added 10 kills and senior Shannon Roseen (Malden, Mass.) tallied eight more as the Beavers finished with 42 in the contest. Senior libero Abby Beecher (Pittsford, N.Y.) totaled a team-high 15 digs and sophomore Cassidy Witten (Honolulu, Hawaii) added nine digs. 

Babson outlasted the Blue in each of the first two sets before closing out the match with a 25-15 victory in the third game. The teams played to 24-24 ties in both the first and second sets but Babson was able to string together points late to earn the win. 

A kill from Ostenso put the Blue ahead, 25-24, in the first set, but Puccio powered the Beavers to a 27-25 victory with three straight kills to close out the frame. With the score knotted at 24 in the second frame, Roseen recorded a kill to make it 25-24. Wellesley was then called for a blocking error that ended the set when it looked as though Puccio's attempt had been sent back for a Blue point.

Trailing 2-0 in the match, Wellesley opened up a brief 4-2 lead in the third. Babson countered with an 8-2 run, jumping ahead 10-6. The Beavers would lead for the remainder of the match, running their lead to 18-9 before taking a 25-15 final.

Sunday's Regional Final will begin at 2:00 PM with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals, November 15-17, 2018, at the A.J. Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Babson Park Regional All-Tournament Team:

• Most Outstanding Player - Allie Puccio, Babson
• Abby Beecher, Babson
• Elizabeth Cameron, Babson
• Nicole Hada, Johns Hopkins
• Kate Kiser, Bowdoin
• Yasmine Reece, Wellesley
• Lisa Sheldon, Bowdoin