PHILADELPHIA – The Thomas Jefferson University volleyball team (23-6) will get to defend its CACC title after the Rams earned a 3-0 sweep of Bridgeport (14-19) in the conference semifinals at Holy Family on Saturday afternoon.
The Rams, the tournament's number one overall seed, will take on the number one seed from the North Division, Bloomfield, in a rematch of the 2021 final that saw Jefferson win its first CACC Championship since 2016. The championship match is set for Sunday, November 13
th at 12 p.m. at Holy Family.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The teams were even at four in the opening set before the Rams scored seven of the next nine to take an 11-6 lead. The margin was still five at 14-9 but Jefferson pulled away with a 6-1 run and went on take the frame 25-17.
The score was seven apiece in the second then the Purple Knights tallied five of the next six to go ahead 12-8. However, the Rams answered with a 5-1 stretch of their own to tie it at 13. The two sides went back and forth from that point with 10 ties over the remainder of the stanza. With the score 24-24, Jefferson recorded a kill before a Bridgeport error gave the Rams a 26-24 victory.
In the third, Jefferson got out to a 3-0 advantage. The Purple Knights came within one at multiple points of the set but the Rams held onto the lead. With the score 19-18, Jefferson surged forward with a 5-1 run and went on to clinch the match with a 25-20 win.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Jess Molen: 15 kills, .583 hitting percentage, 5 digs, 2 service aces, 2 blocks
Sam Mann: 11 kills, .471 hitting percentage, 3 blocks
Morgan Ritchie: 9 kills, .500 hitting percentage, 2 service aces, 2 blocks, 2 digs
Kalen Jordan: 6 kills, .417 hitting percentage, 2 blocks
Kristine Guenther: 40 assists, 3 digs, 2 service aces
Cameron Johnson: 12 digs, 2 assists
NOTES
- The Rams compiled a massive .494 hitting percentage, their highest since at least 2011 according to available records. Jefferson hit over .500 in two of the three sets.
- The Rams increased their win streak to 11 matches, the longest since winning their first 11 contests in 2021.
- Sunday's final will mark Jefferson's eighth appearance in the CACC Championship.
