WALTHAM, Mass. – AVCA All-East Region First Team outside hitter Grace Dilena posted 14 kills and five digs, but No. 3 Mercy saw its historic season come to a close with a 3-0 loss (20-25, 20-25, 12-25) to No. 1 Bentley in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball East Region Championship Final up at Bentley on Saturday evening.

The Mavericks close their season with an overall mark of 22-5, winning their first ECC Championship since 2001 and advancing to the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.

AVCA All-East Region First Team outside hitter Gabriela Bieniek added seven kills and five digs while All-AVCA All-East Region First Team setter Adriana Rivera Rodriguez totaled 24 assists and Kamila Colon notched 11 digs. 

Box Score

Bentley (27-4) hit at a clip of 32.7 percent compared to Mercy’s 11.9 percent. 

The Falcons jumped out to a 6-1 advantage to open the match, but the Mavericks inched to within one, 14-13, on a kill from Mia Illes-Hair.

From there, Bentley went on a 5-1 run to extend its lead by five en route to a 25-20, opening-set victory.

Dilena posted nine of her 14 total kills in that first set. 

Trailing 15-13 in the second set after a Bieniek kill brought the Mavericks to within two, the Falcons tore off on an 8-2 run to take a commanding 23-15 lead. 

Mercy took advantage of four Bentley miscues with a Dilena kill mixed in to take five of the next six points and close the gap to four, 24-20, but Tory Vitko’s lone kill of the match solidifed the second-set win for the Falcons. 

The third set saw Bentley jump out to a 12-2 advantage en route to a 25-12, match-clinching third-set win.