Box Score

BOSTON – In a battle between two evenly matched teams, the Northeastern women's volleyball team prevailed 3-2 (26-24, 25-18, 22-25, 17-25, 15-12) against Elon in a five-set thriller at Cabot Center on Friday night.
 
The Huskies won a total of 105 points in the match compared to the Phoenix's 104, including five out of the last seven points in the final set to seal the victory and complete the season sweep of Elon. 
 
Four different Husky defenders tallied 10 or more digs in the match, most notably senior Natalia Skiba. The 5-9 libero led the team with 17 digs, while also posting five assists and an ace during the contest. Kristen Walding picked up her third double-double in four matches with 35 assists and 15 digs, bringing her double-double total to seven on the season.
 
Brigitte Burcescu sent 14 attacks over for kills on the night to lead the NU attacking game, while Cherylain Dizon posted 10 or more kills for the sixth time this year.
 
Caterina Rosander and Ava Cramp each had four blocks on the evening, and middle hitter Alexa Armstrong blocked three Elon attacks to go along with her seven kills.
 
As a team, Elon (5-20, 0-9 CAA) led the Huskies in kills, blocks, and hitting percentage, but struggled from behind the service line, making 17 service errors. Freshman outside hitter Sydney Busa had 20 kills for the Phoenix, while junior setter Ana Nicksic collected 35 assists and 12 digs. Catherine Head had a match-high six blocks for Elon.
 
Northeastern (10-13, 2-7 CAA) came out firing in the first set as Burcescu's third kill gave NU an early 5-4 lead. Elon was quick to take the lead back at 10-9, but the Huskies answered with a three-point scoring run capped with a kill by Cramp that forced the Phoenix to take a timeout, trailing NU 12-10.
 
Both teams continued to side-out until Walding broke through with a kill to put the Huskies up 17-14. Elon swung two points off kills by Head and Ally Karle, but Northeastern strung together three more points to take a 21-16 advantage. However, Elon rattled off five out of the next six points and later saved two set points to tie the set up at 24-24. However, NU kept its composure, and back-to-back kills by Dizon and Rosander awarded the Huskies a 26-24 first set victory.
 
Northeastern followed its first-set display of 13 kills with four more to start the second set with an 8-4 lead. Elon pulled within two points at 11-9, but Walding found Armstrong and Burcescu for kills before slamming down one of her own to give NU a 15-11 advantage.
 
A solo block by Rosander fueled a three-point scoring run for the Huskies to go up 18-12, and Northeastern's front wall of blockers continued to force the Phoenix into making low-percentage attacks. Elon could not erase an eight-point deficit, and the Huskies went up 2-0 in the match after a 25-18 win in the second set.
 
In need of a jumpstart, the Phoenix found what they were looking for with a four-point scoring run to open the third set. Down 5-1, Northeastern cut the lead to one off an ace by Manhard, and again following a kill by Rosander at 9-8. After Elon scored three straight points to lead 12-8, NU responded with a 6-3 run to pull back within one point once more at 15-14.
 
However, unforced errors for the Huskies gave the Phoenix opportunities to extend their lead in the third set, and NU would come as close as two points before Elon won the frame, 25-22, on a kill by Chanelle Smith.
 
Much like the start of the third set, Elon began the fourth set with a dominating 5-1 scoring run, and broke open the set with another 6-1 run that put the Phoenix up 13-5. Refusing to go away, Northeastern chipped away at the lead and brought the set to within three points at 17-14 thanks to a three straight points. Despite the streak, Elon cruised down the stretch in the fourth, winning eight of the last 11 points in the set to level the match at 2-2.
 
The Huskies' experience in five-set matches this season was evident when NU broke through with a 5-1 lead. Up 6-4, the two teams failed to string two points together until Elon tied up the set at 10-10 off a kill by Busa. With the set tied again at 11-11, Walding found Armstrong and helped the offense score three more kills down the stretch as the Huskies won the final frame, 15-12.
 
Friday's victory brings Northeastern's record to 4-2 this season in five-set matches, while Elon falls to 2-3. The Huskies will take on UNCW at Cabot Center this Sunday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m. before battling Towson and Delaware on the road next week.