Providence College Athletics

Saturday, March 27
Providence, R.I.
6:30 PM

Providence College

7-3,5-3Big East

3
vs
2

Villanova University

4-6,3-5Big East

1
2
3
4
5
F
Villanova
23
25
25
25
8
2
Providence
25
20
27
20
15
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Volleyball Team Celebration
Photo by: Stew Milne

Volleyball Punches Ticket To BIG EAST Tournament With Five-Set Victory Over Villanova

3/27/2021 9:42:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box ScoreBox Score
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The Providence College volleyball team will make its first appearance in the BIG EAST Tournament since 1999, after defeating Villanova, 3-2, on Saturday, March 27 in Providence, R.I. The Friars swept the Wildcats this weekend, with both matches going five sets. Providence concludes the regular season at 7-4 overall, including a 5-4 mark in the BIG EAST.
 
FIRST SET HIGHLIGHTS: The first set was a back-and-forth affair, with Providence and Villanova tying ten times. Providence created some space between the teams, 20-16, before Villanova fought back and tied the Friars again at 23-23. The Friars went on to win the match, 25-23.
 
Maryanne Boyle (Blacklick, Ohio) and Jennifer Leitman (Irvine, Calif.) led the Friars offense, each recording a team-high three kills. Boyle recorded a .500 hitting percentage on six attempts and Leitman recorded a .222 hitting percentage on nine.
 
Allison Barber (Woodbury, Minn.) recorded 10 assists for the Friars, a set-high.
 
Mackenzie Taylor (Holbrook, N.Y.) tallied four digs.
 
SECOND SET HIGHLIGHTS: The Wildcats took the second set, 25-20, after leading for the entirety of the second half of the set after breaking a 7-7 tie.
 
Leitman tallied four kills for Providence.

Barber tallied seven assists and three digs.

Caroline LaMacchia (Rockville Center, N.Y.), Leitman, and Taylor also contributed three digs for the Friars.
 
THIRD SET HIGHLIGHTS: The Friars fought hard for a win and the third and came out on top, 27-25. The back-and-forth battle consisted of four lead changes and 11 ties.  

Leitman and Nelson led the Friars in kills (six), while Barber led in assists (18).
 
Emma Fink (Western Springs, Ill.) and Boyle each had a block assists.
 
LaMacchia lead the Friars in digs (five).
 
FOURTH SET HIGHLIGHTS: Villanova took the fourth set, 25-20.
 
Providence had three total team blocks. 
 
Nelson lead the Friars in kills in the fourth set (three).
 
Barber again lead in assists (seven).
 
Barber tallied four digs, while Natalie Benson (Bourbonnais, Ill.)  added three digs in the fourth set. 
 
FIFTH SET HIGHLIGHTS: The Friars jumped out to an early lead, 4-1, and held an edge for the remainder of the set to take the match, 15-8.
 
Barber recorded a .750 hitting percentage in the fifth set with three digs, a team-high. 
 
Barber also contributed to the Providence offense in assists (5), leading all players in the set.
 
Benson led the Friars' defense with five digs.
 
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS: 
 
Leitman led the Friars with 16 kills and 12 digs. Nelson added 14 kills.

Taylor and LaMacchia also tallied 12 digs for the Friars.
 
Providence totaled ten team blocks.
 
The Friars will make their first appearance in the BIG EAST Tournament since 1999.
 
An original member of the BIG EAST Conference, Providence played as an Independent from 2003-2009, before spending the 2010-13 seasons in the America East.
 
The Friars rejoined the BIG EAST in 2014.
 
Providence will be making its 15th appearance in the BIG EAST Tournament all-time, where it holds a 24-16 record (.600).
 
 

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12:00 PM (ET)
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Team Stats

VU
PROV
Kills
58
62
Errors
22
25
Attempts
164
168
Hitting %
.220
.220
Points
74
80
Assists
53
51
Aces
8
8
Blocks
8
10

Game Leaders

4

Jennifer Leitman

Kills
16
Aces
1
Blocks
2
10

Emma Nelson

Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
0
2

Maryanne Boyle

Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
6
1

Sasha Rudich

Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
2

Players Mentioned

3

Allison Barber

S
/ Women's Volleyball
8

Natalie Benson

DS
/ Women's Volleyball
2

Maryanne Boyle

MB
/ Women's Volleyball
15

Emma Fink

OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
13

Caroline LaMacchia

DS
/ Women's Volleyball
4

Jennifer Leitman

OH
/ Women's Volleyball
11

Mackenzie Taylor

DS
/ Women's Volleyball

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