Elon University Athletics

BOSTON – The Elon volleyball team used a balanced offensive attack and its best blocking performance of the season to earn a 3-1 (25-23, 25-23, 14-25, 25-13) victory over Northeastern on Friday evening at the Cabot Center.
 
The Phoenix improved to 7-10 overall and 4-3 in CAA play, while the Huskies fell to 4-11 overall and 2-5 in league action.
 
Allie Schultz led the Maroon and Gold with a career-high 12 kills, surpassing her previous best of 10. She committed just three attack errors on 21 swings for a .429 hitting percentage and also contributed seven block assists, matching her career high for total blocks and block assists.
 
Cameron Lanier also finished with 12 kills and added seven digs, three block assists and a service ace. Anna Sewell chipped in 10 kills, while Caroline Berlekamp and Catherine Rucker added seven apiece. Rucker recorded a career-high seven blocks and added three service aces. April Rice and Kayla Palmer directed the offense with 20 and 21 assists, respectively. Casey Brower led the Phoenix defensively with 10 digs and added three service aces.
 
Elon's 13 total blocks established a season high, surpassing the previous best of 11 against App State on Sept. 8. The Phoenix also finished with nine service aces, matching its second-highest total of the season.
 
For Northeastern, Emma Rowell led the offense with 13 kills on a .440 hitting percentage, while Cayenne Ceman added 11 kills. Arina Sosinovica finished with 20 assists and three service aces, while Aven Crosby and Ceman each recorded six digs.
 
THE RUNDOWN

• Elon scored the first two points of the opening set behind consecutive Lanier kills, but Northeastern responded and used a 12-2 run to build a 15-5 advantage. The Huskies eventually stretched their lead to 20-10 before the Phoenix began to climb back into the frame. Elon scored six straight points to trim the deficit to 20-16, highlighted by a Rucker kill, a Sewell kill and a block from Schultz and Rucker. After Northeastern briefly stopped the run, the Maroon and Gold continued to chip away and eventually pulled even at 21-all. The teams traded points before Northeastern took a 23-22 lead, but Elon answered with the final three points. A Huskies attack error tied the set before Murphy delivered a service ace, and Berlekamp and Lanier combined for a block to complete the 25-23 comeback.
• Northeastern scored the first two points of the second set before Elon responded and took its first lead at 5-4 following a Rucker-Schultz block. The Phoenix continued to build momentum, using a 7-1 run to take a 12-5 advantage behind a Lanier service ace, two Rucker aces and kills from Sewell. Berlekamp later added a kill and teamed with Rice for a block as Elon carried a 15-7 lead into the media timeout. Brower delivered consecutive service aces to extend the margin to 18-10, but the Huskies chipped away and eventually pulled within four at 21-17. Elon reached set point at 24-21 on a Sewell kill before Northeastern fought off two set points to make it 24-23. A Huskies service error on the following point secured another 25-23 victory and gave Elon a 2-0 match lead.
• Northeastern opened the third set with consecutive service aces before Elon answered with a Lanier kill and a Rice-Rucker block to tie the frame at 2-all. The Huskies gradually created separation and built a 15-10 lead entering the media timeout. Elon scored the first two points after the break to pull within three at 15-12, but Northeastern responded with seven unanswered points. Sosinovica recorded three service aces during the run as the Huskies stretched their advantage to 22-12. Schultz briefly stopped the surge with a kill, but Northeastern scored three of the final four points, including back-to-back Ceman service aces, to earn a 25-14 victory and trim Elon's match lead to 2-1.
• The teams traded points early in the fourth set before Elon began to create separation. With the score tied at 4-all, the Phoenix scored four straight points behind Murphy's first career kill, a Berlekamp-Lanier block and consecutive Lanier kills to take an 8-4 advantage. Elon later extended the margin to 13-6 behind kills from Lanier and Rucker and a pair of blocks before carrying a 15-6 lead into the media timeout. The Phoenix continued to pull away, with Rucker contributing two kills, a service ace and multiple blocks as the advantage grew to 21-10. Northeastern scored two straight to make it 21-12, but Schultz, Sewell and Lanier answered with consecutive kills to put Elon at match point. A Huskies attack error closed out the 25-13 victory and the 3-1 match win.

 
UP NEXT

• Elon faces the Huskies in the series finale on Saturday with first serve set for 1 p.m.

 
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