Boston College volleyball traded punches with Albany for four consecutive sets on Sunday in a match defined by momentum swings, defensive grit, and late-set pressure. When it came down to the final frame, though, the Eagles held their nerve.
Behind a career night from senior middle-blocker Anna Herrington, BC (9–0) beat Albany (5–4) 3–2 in a five-set thriller, closing its first tournament to remain undefeated.
The match became a test of BC’s resilience, as the Eagles consistently responded with their backs against the wall.
The Eagles stumbled out of the gate in the first set. A long serving streak from Albany built a 15–7 advantage, and BC never recovered despite a block from graduate middle Cornelia Roach and an ace by libero Brookyln Yelland.
Herrington and Sam Hoppes each landed strong kills in the middle of the set, but the Great Danes’ consistent offense closed the set 25–19.
Set two was a different story.
Kills from Herrington, Hoppes, and sophomore outside Sequoia Layne kept BC close early, and two aces from junior Audrey Ross brought the Eagles their first lead at 16–15.
Energized by the home crowd, BC pulled ahead 18–16. The Great Danes clawed back to tie it at 19, but Herrington delivered back-to-back kills before Hoppes found freshman Bella Ehrlich for the set-winning swing as BC won 25–23.
The Eagles showed poise under pressure, seizing momentum at the moment it mattered most.
BC carried its energy from the second set into the third. Ehrlich combined with Hoppes for an early block, and Aubrey Moore’s steady serving helped the Eagles pull out to a 14–9 lead.
Herrington stayed hot, recording multiple kills in the middle of the set. Moore directed the offense smoothly, spreading the ball to Hoppes and Layne. After grabbing an 18–14 lead, BC never let Albany within three points.
A missed Albany attack sealed a 25–18 BC win and a 2–1 match lead for the Eagles.
Albany answered in set four, capitalizing on BC errors to build a late cushion. Herrington and Ross kept the Eagles close with off-the-block swings, but Albany stretched its lead to 20–17 and held on, forcing a deciding set with a 25–19 victory.
The tiebreaking set was everything one would expect from two evenly matched teams.
Herrington opened with two kills, and Ross added another as BC raced to a 5–0 start. Albany chipped away and tied the score 14–14, setting up a tense finish.
Herrington responded with her 17th kill, a new career high, before hammering down the match-winner for a 16–14 victory for the Eagles, keeping her team out of the losing column.
