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WALTHAM, Mass. The American International College volleyball team returns to the Northeast-10 Championship Tuesday night when they take on Bentley University. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. from the Dana Center.
The Yellow Jackets finished the regular season 13-12 overall and 7-7 in NE-10 matches, earning the sixth seed. Bentley went 18-9 with an 11-3 mark in league play to finish third overall.
The two teams last played just four days ago at Henry A. Butova Gymnasium with the Falcons taking a four-set victory. AIC sophomore Mercy Rivera (Canovanas, P.R.) led the team with 16 kills, while junior outside Natalija Dordevic (Belgrade, Serbia) tallying 15 kills on .257 hitting.
Freshman setter Roxana Wenger (Giph-Oberfrick, Switzerland) tallied 45 assists and senior libero Franny Sanchez (Ossining, N.Y.) and Rivera made 19 digs apiece.
Dordevic finished the season atop the conference in kills-per-set (3.96) and recorded the second highest in total kills (380). Other Yellow Jackets among the NE-10 leaders are Rivera in digs-set (5.57), Wenger in assists-set (9.87) and junior middle blocker Lauren Pires (Dartmouth, Mass.) in blocks-set (0.98).
The Falcons are well-balanced and defensive minded, led by Jaci Busher with 291 kills and Jessica Segal with 490 digs.
American International looks to snap a three-match slide after just two weeks ago they strung together five straight victories. AIC won its lone NE-10 Championship in 1996 while Bentley has won nine conference crowns, most recently in 2005.
Defending champs Adelphi swept the league in the regular season to claim the top seed and play host to No. 8 Southern New Hampshire. Second seeded Franklin Pierce hosts No. 7 New Haven, while No. 4 Le Moyne faces off against in-state foe and fifth seeded Saint Rose. The semifinal round will be served up Friday, Nov. 20 at the two highest seeds remaining.
