NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Third-seeded Pratt Institute defeated Davis College 3-0 in the semifinals before falling to top-seeded College of New Rochelle 3-0 in the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship match Saturday evening.
Freshman Emelen Mikelic led the Cannoneers with 24 kills and 20 digs on the afternoon. Julia Kubak contributed 12 kills over the two matches, and setter Alivia Senevoravong collected 53 assists.
Following the tournament, Mikelic was recognized as the HVIAC Rookie of the Year as well as being named to the All-Conference team. Joining Mikelic on the All-HVAIC team was fellow freshman Alivia Senevoravong.
Semifinal Match | Pratt 3, Davis 0: Emelen Mikelic notched 13 kills on 37 attacks and Julia Kubak collected nine kills and hit .316 as the Cannoneers swept the Falcons of Davis College in straight sets to advance to their second consecutive HVIAC championship match. The victory avenged Pratt's regular season five-set loss to Davis.
For the match Pratt's defense held the Falcons to just 20 kills while defending 51 digs and hitting 14 service aces.
Oliver Buika and Anna Elisse Uy combined for 11 kills, while setter Alivia Senevoravong registered her sixth 30-plus assist match of the season, tallying 36 as the Cannoneers set up a rematch of the 2016 HVIAC finals with New Rochelle.
Championship Match | Pratt 0, New Rochelle 3: Following their impressive victory in the semifinals, Pratt was unable to find a similar offensive rhythm, eventually falling to the Blue Angels 3-0 in the finals.
New Rochelle hit 35 kills on 60 attacks with just five errors (.500 hitting percentage) as they raced out to a quick 2-0 lead.
Facing a 6-1 deficit in the third set, the Cannoneers offense started to click following a team timeout. Emelen Mikelic's three kills and two aces started the rally. A pair of Marlena Todd kills evened the set at 10-10.
The teams would alternate points as neither was unable to gain any separation. Following another Mikelic kill, New Rochelle's Simaima Fukofuka's kill and four straight aces pushed the Blue Angels to championship point at 24-15. Tamara Beckford's fifth kill provided New Rochelle the final point as they claimed their fifth straight conference title.
Mikelic led the Cannoneers with 11 kills on 24 attacks (.250 hitting percentage).
Following the defeat, coach Louis Sepulveda praised his team's effort as he looked towards the future for Cannoneer volleyball.
"What a season we had. We battled through injuries and managed to make it to the finals. The experience itself was priceless. I can't express how proud this group made me feel. Our future is bright and it's only going to get better. Our returning players, coupled with our 2018 incoming class is going to be great and propel us to the top."
