MEDFORD, Mass. – Holding off the host team, No. 1 East Texas Baptist University continued its historic season, winning the NCAA Division III Medford Regional Tournament over No. 14 Tufts University, 25-17, 25-16, 21-25, 26-24. It is the program's first-ever NCAA Regional Championship as they advance to the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament in Bloomington, Ill., from December 3-6 with a 34-0 record.
ETBU recorded two impressive individual achievements as
Graycee Mosley broke the ETBU all-time kills record of 2,015 held by Arden Tunnell (2002-05), with 2,020 kills.
Anita Hancock recorded her 300th career block and is now fifth on the ETBU all-time block list. Mosley was named the Most Outstanding Player for the Regional Tournament as Hancock and
Lara Hornsby were on the All-Tournament team.
Mosley led the team with 16 kills and added two blocks to her performance.
Sydney Temple set her teammates up with 24 assists as
Lexi Moody added 16.
Lara Hornsby posted 14 kills on a .320 hitting percentage as
McKinzie Riley came away with 10 kills, hitting .471. Hancock was a key player at the net, recording five total blocks, and
Callie Humphrey led with 14 digs.
The first set began taking advantage of Tufts' attack errors for a 2-0 lead. ETBU maintained momentum with a series of plays, including a kill by Riley, assisted by Moody, to push the lead to 4-2. As the set progressed, the Tigers forced a sequence of Tufts errors and strong offensive contributions, including kills by Temple and
Lindsey Gooch, widening the margin to 10-7. The Tigers continued to dominate in the first set with a strong performance by Hornsby, who delivered two consecutive kills. Despite a brief challenge from Tufts, ETBU sealed the set with a decisive 25-17 victory, ending on an attack error by Tufts.
ETBU started the second set strong with Riley and Mosley each contributing multiple kills, bolstered by a solid setting performance from Temple, taking a 7-3 lead. Gooch also added significant support with her blocking and attacking plays as ETBU moved the lead to six, 14-8. Despite a few service errors, the Tigers maintained momentum and built a substantial lead throughout the set, extending their lead to nine, 18-9. ETBU concluded the set with a decisive 25-16 victory over Tufts, securing a 2-0 lead
In a back-and-forth set three, ETBU had to come from behind several times. They tied the match at nine on a Tufts attack error, but then fell behind, 17-12. ETBU came within three, several times, but Tufts held the lead for the majority of the set, taking it, 25-21.
It was a very contested fourth set with the score going back and forth and multiple ties. There were 12 ties in the first 12 points for a 12-12 tie. That was the final tie until the closing points. Mosley had a kill to make it 18-14 and Riley added a kill for a 19-15 lead. Tufts came roaring back to tie the set at 23 and then took the lead on an ETBU attack error, 24-23. In the set point serve,
Katherine Server had a timely kill to tie the set at 24. That set the stage for a Tufts attack error and Hornsby to secure the final point with a decisive kill from Mosley's assist to take the match, 26-24.
ETBU now heads to Bloomington, Ill., for the NCAA National Championship Tournament starting with the Elite 8 at the Shrink Center on Wednesday, December 3.
