Des Moines, Iowa – Boston College defeated Drake University 3-1 on Wednesday evening in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship Finals, the Eagles won by scores 25-22, 25-18, and 29-27. Drake finishes their season 30-8 overall while BC finishes 24-13.
In set one, the Eagles started very fast on a 13-4 lead including a furious 9-0 scoring run. The Bulldogs would go on to fight their way back into it to make it 24-22 but BC held strong and finished out the set to take a 1-0 lead with the help of a stifling defense that held Drake to just a .104 hitting percentage in the set and forced 10 errors.
After Drake came back to tie the match at 1-1 in set two. The Eagles once again started quick in set three, racing out to a 11-3 lead. The Bulldogs would cut the deficit to just four at 20-16 but BC once again managed to hold their ground, winning five of the last seven points and a set clinching kill from Graduate middle blocker Kate Brennan (Endicott. N.Y).
It all came down to set four for the two sides. BC knew they needed to avoid a fifth set in the raucous atmosphere that was The Knapp Center. It was back and forth almost the entire way through but the Eagles managed to rattle off a quick 4-0 run to come just within one point of clinching their first postseason championship. But as they have learned throughout the season, most things don't come quite so easy. Drake battled back in impressive fashion to force deuce at 24-24, but once again as we have seen so often this season from this team, BC was able to recompose themselves and win three straight points off clutch kills from Kate Brennan and Junior outside hitter Alayna Crabtree (Normal, Ill)
Crabtree, who quite literally saved her best for last, went for a career-high 19 kills to go along with 16 digs for her seventh double-double to finish off the season. Senior outside hitter Silvia Ianeselli (Trento, Italy), who was named NIVC Tournament MVP tallied 14 kills and 14 digs which is good for fourth double-double as she finishes out her BC career. Kate Brennan, who was named to the NIVC All-Tournament Team, delivered another fantastic performance as she caps off her collegiate volleyball career, she went for 12 kills on an efficient .478 hitting percentage to go along with eight blocks and five digs. Junior libero Anna Murphy (Zionsville, Ind) was also named to the NIVC All-Tournament Team and tonight against the Drake Bulldogs she did what she has done all season long anchoring the BC defense and doing all the massively important things that don't always get necessarily noticed recording 24 digs and six assists to help secure BC's first postseason championship in program history.
This was a historic, record setting season for BC Volleyball. They set the record for the best start in program history at 10-0, they set the record for most wins in a single season in program history at 24 (previous record was 20), Head Coach Jason Kennedy became the all time leader in career wins in program history with 82, doing it in just five seasons, the previous record was held by former Head Coach Andrea Leonard who spent seven years on The Heights, and last but certainly not least Boston College won their first ever postseason championship, defeating the likes of Buffalo, St. John's, Xavier, Southern Miss and finally, Drake, who before tonight, was a perfect 10-0 on their home court.
