NEWMAC QUARTERFINALS

THE BASICS 

Score: Springfield 3, Emerson 1 

Records: No. 4 Emerson Lions (17-8, 5-4 NEWMAC) ; No. 5 Springfield Pride (21-6, 6-4 NEWMAC)

Location: Boston, Mass. (Brown & Plofker Gym)

Date: November 2, 2021

The Lead:
INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

EMERSON

Combs: 15 kills

Cummings: 10 kills & three aces

Rebecca Polsky: 24 assists & 19 digs 

Caroline Davis: three aces

Logan Steenbergen: four blocks

SPRINGFIELD

Camryn Bancroft: nine kills 

Sara Labadorf: 27 assists, six aces and 18 digs

Briana Tovar: 18 digs

Kylie Wixted: four blocks

HOW IT HAPPENED 

SET ONE

• The first frame started off close between the two teams with Emerson holding a slight lead of 5-4, but when the Lions were down three at 9-6, Springfield took over and ballooned their advantage into double figures on a 8-0 streak.
• Emerson was able to get within single digits at nine on several occasions, the last time coming at 19-10 after a Springfield attack error, which was quickly followed by a 6-0 spark by the Pride to close out the first frame as the Lions slipped, 25-10.

SET TWO

• Emerson trailed by a pair to begin the second set at 3-1 before they tacked on the next four consecutive points to claim the lead at 5-3 on three straight kills from freshmen Brooke Maynez, Cummings and junior Jillian Kay. 
• The Lions maintained its lead of three on a swing from freshman Amelia Combs at 8-5, but Springfield responded with a run of five points to jump ahead, 10-8, on a kill by Natalie Billet. 
• Emerson leveled the score twice, once at 11 and again at 12, and were able to stay within one of Springfield at 14-13 until the visitors began to pull away. 
• Down five, Emerson erased that deficit with a 5-1 streak and pulled within one at 23-22 after Cummings sent down a kill. Springfield tacked on the final two set points on Lions mishaps and took the second set, 25-22.   

SET THREE

• The hosts made some noise to start off the third and put Springfield in an eight-point hole at 10-2 behind a service ace from Davis. The Pride began to creep their way back and brought themselves back within four at 12-8.
• Emerson kept Springfield back by four and at 17-11, were able to put distance in the score thanks to a string of six straight points to jump ahead by double-figures at 23-13. 
• Springfield was able to get four points back and come within seven, but Emerson sealed the third thanks to a kill from Steenbergen and forced a fourth, 25-17. 

SET FOUR

• Emerson held a tight 6-4 lead over Springfield in the beginning portion of the fourth until a Pride run of the next six of seven points pushed the visitors ahead, 10-7. 
• Springfield began to separate themselves when they extended their lead to eight at 17-9 only to have Emerson claw their way back into the set thanks to a 7-1 run that was capped by a Steenbergen swing with the score sitting at 18-16.
• The Pride answered with the next trio of points only to have Emerson responded right away with their own three-point streak to pull back within two at 21-19. 
• Combs' kill and service ace inched Emerson within one at 22-21, but the Lions' comeback was put to a stop as Springfield tallied the remaining three points on a kill and two errors with the hosts falling 3-1.