Volleyball Comeback Falls Just Short, Framingham State Claims MASCAC Title

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.— With their backs against the wall after dropping the first two sets to Framingham State in today's MASCAC Championship match, the MCLA Volleyball team made a valiant comeback attempt forcing a fifth and deciding set but came up just short as the Rams held off the Trailblazers 25-22, 25-19, 20-25, 17-25, 15-9 to claim the title.

THE BASICS:

• Date: Saturday, November 11, 2023
• Score: Framingham State 3, MCLA 2 (25-22, 25-19, 20-25, 17-25, 15-9)
• Records: MCLA 21-5 (5-2 MASCAC) Framingham State 20-10 (4-3 MASCAC)

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Framingham State started the match off with a 7-1 run forcing an early timeout and ultimately swelled their lead to 16-5. The Trailblazers charged back and following a Chloie Garber kill closed to the gap to 23-17. Coming out of a timeout, the Rams took the next point, but the resilient Trailblazers fought off five set points before Framingham finally closed out the set, 25-22.
• Aided by a 4-point service run by Ellie Walter-Goodspeed, MCLA went up 5-0 to begin the second but Framingham would catch the Trailblazers at 9-9 and spring ahead 17-12 as part of a 10-3 run. The Trailblazers closed the gap to one on two occasions, but the Rams used a 6-1 run to take the set, 25-19 and go up 2-0 in the match.
• MCLA shot ahead 9-3 to begin the third and led by as much as 18-11 after a thunderous kill by Garber. Framingham did chip away using a 5-1 run to cut the deficit to 22-20 but Garber and Makenna Carter teamed up to block a Ram attack to on set point to put the Trailblazers on the board with a 25-20 set win to make it 2-1.
• Neither team was able to get much separation early in the fourth. However, with Framingham clinging to a slim 12-11 advantage the hosts would go on a clutch 11-1 run, including a 7-point service run by Ezmeralda Albright to lead 22-13. The Trailblazers went on to take the set 25-17 evening the match at two sets apiece.
• Framingham State took the opening two points of the set and from there the teams traded the next twelve points to make it 8-6 at the changeover. After exchanging two more points, a 4-point run to make it 13-8 gave the visitors all the separation they would need as the Rams went on to win the set 15-9 and the championship match, 3 sets to 2.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Garber with 15 kills and sixteen digs and Elizabeth Brown with 10 kills and eighteen digs registered double-doubles as did Beth Harris who finished with 22 assists and twelve digs.
• Anais Badio had a team-high 18 kills with a .432 hitting percentage, while Aubrey Melson chipped in ten. Shannon O'Brien finished with a team-high 25 assists while Ellie Walter-Goodspeed led the Trailblazers with 25 digs.
• Framingham State's Anna Szymanski paced the Rams with 14 kills and fifteen digs earning Tournament MVP honors. Hailey Sanders with 15 kills for the Rams, while Natalie Reynolds and Emma Dobbins added ten kills apiece. Stella Bailey finished the match with game-high 45 set assists and 17 defensive digs, while Carly Beaulieu chipped in with 15 digs. 
• Today marked the second MASCAC tournament final appearance by MCLA and was a rematch of the 2015 Championship match which Framingham State won, 3-0.
• MCLA's 21 wins this season which included an 11-game winning streak, are the second most in program history and their .808 winning percentage ranks first.

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