Box Score

Postgame comments (Nichole Kurz and Nicole Bishop - YouTube.com)

The Northeastern women's volleyball team beat Alabama in five sets (25-17, 18-25, 26-24, 28-30, 15-13) in the Beanpot Classic in its first game of the 2012 season. The marathon match lasted two hours and 39 minutes before a junior Kelly Bacon kill clinched the deciding set for the Huskies.

Northeastern (1-0, 0-0 CAA) was led by sophomore Jillian Briner's triple-double (10 kills, 30 assists, 12 digs) and double-doubles from juniors Janelle Tucker (10 kills, 13 digs) and Nichole Kurz (11 kills, 11 blocks). The Crimson Tide (1-1, 0-0 SEC) received 56 assists from setter Sierra Wilson and 22 kills from outside hitter Pricilla Duke-Ezeji.

The Huskies came out strong in the first set, jumping out to a 14-4 lead. Alabama battled back to get within three (19-16), but NU regained momentum following a timeout, going on a 9-1 run to take the set 25-17. Libero Natalia Skiba contributed 11 of her 25 digs in the opening frame, and the Huskies had seven different players record a kill in the set.

Sophomore Ava Cramp, a transfer from the University of the Pacific, made her Northeastern debut as a substitute in the first set, and recorded a kill on her first play. Cramp finished the game with nine kills and four blocks.

In the second set, the two teams were knotted up at 11-11, before the Crimson Tide pulled out to a 19-12 lead. The Huskies cut the deficit to two (18-20), before Alabama took the ensuing five points to win the set 25-18. Duke-Ezeji had seven kills in the set, while libero Yukie Futami had 10 digs.

Northeastern scooted out to a 10-4 lead in the third set, but Alabama took over the set, and had a 24-21 lead. The Huskies held off the Crimson Tide and took the next five points to take a two-sets-to-one lead, including two points off of Alabama attacking errors, one on a block shared by Kurz and Briner, one on a Kurz kill, and one on an junior Ina Kamenova service ace.

The fourth set was evenly matched. The frame was tied on numerous occasions, but Alabama clung tight and rallied for the 30-28 marathon victory. The Crimson Tide led early, 9-4, but the Huskies fought back and tied the set at 13 on another Kamenova service ace. Alabama had its first set point after an Andrea McQuaid kill, which gave them a 24-23 lead. Northeastern took the next two points on an Alabama error and a Bacon kill, and had its first match point at 25-24. The two teams went back and forth, until the Crimson Tide took the set on a Duke-Ezeji kill followed by a block shared by middle blocker Katherine White and Duke-Ezeji.

In the fifth and final set, Cramp made two crucial kills. The first brought NU to within one point, 6-7, and then after an Alabama error and Tucker kill, Cramp added another powerful kill to give the Huskies a 9-7 lead and force a Crimson Tide timeout. Briner and Kurz shared important blocks on Alabama's Duke-Ezeji in key moments down the stretch, helping the Huskies get to match point again, at 14-10. Northeastern eventually took the set, 15-13, on a Bacon kill.

Northeastern looks to sweep the Beanpot Classic Tournament when the Huskies return to Boston to host a pair of games against Holy Cross (11 a.m.) and Sacred Heart (7 p.m.) Alabama and Sacred Heart will also play at Solomon Court at 2 p.m.

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