PBC Tournament - Flagler Advances to Championship Game 3-0 over Montevallo

AIKEN, S.C. – Top-seeded Flagler picked up a 3-0 sweep of fourth-seeded Montevallo in the first semifinal match of the 19th Annual Peach Belt Conference Volleyball Championship at the USC Aiken Convocation Center on Saturday, Nov. 14.

With the win, Flagler moves on to the 2009 Peach Belt Conference Volleyball Tournament Championship Match. The championship will be contested at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15 at the Convocation Center. It will mark the first championship appearance for the PBC regular season champions, who are in their first season in the league. The Saints will take on the winner of the #2 AASU-#6 Lander match.

Flagler has now won 24 straight matches and enters the championship match with a 31-8 record. The Saints have swept both of their matches in the tournament entering the championship match.

Ranked fifth in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region, Montevallo’s season may not be done. The Falcons conclude the PBC Tournament with a mark of 20-14.

The top-seeded Saints opened the match by taking the victory in the first game. Flagler and Montevallo played neck-and-neck for much of the first set, but behind one solo block and four block assists from three-time PBC Player of the Week and first team All-Conference selection Meg Weathersby in the first set the Saints picked up a 25-18 win that gave them an early 1-0 lead.

Flagler hit .385 as a team in the first set, while Montevallo concluded the first game collectively hitting .154.

The Saints led for most of the second set, but Montevallo pulled back to within three at 19-16 late in the game. Flagler would make sure that the Falcons would not get any closer with Becky Hendrian almost single-handedly leading the way by picking up back-to-back service aces that gave the Saints a five-point 21-16 lead. Flagler would not look back from there, holding on in the set for a 25-19 victory.

Flagler continued to exert themselves in the third set by fighting off an extremely feisty Montevallo squad for a 25-23 win that earned them the sweep.

The Saints had two players record double-digit kils in the match with Rachel Stacy and Weathersby both recording double-digit kills. Stacy led the Saints with 12 kills, while Weathersby chipped in with 12. Katie Beale led Flagler with 14 digs.

Montevallo had only one player finish with double-digit kills with Katy Handrick ending the Falcon loss with a match-high 13 kills. Brittany Wilson acquired 14 digs for the Falcons in the match.

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