SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota – The Bentley volleyball team’s historic 2025 season came to an end when the Falcons lost to Point Loma, 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-16), in the NCAA Quarterfinals in the Sanford Pentagon Thursday afternoon.
The Falcons (27-5) entered the NCAA Quarterfinals as the #6 seed – the highest ever for a team from the East Region. Bentley arrived in South Dakota as the three-time reigning NCAA East Regional Champion. The Falcons had won 23 consecutive matches heading into the quarterfinal match.
Early on against #3 Point Loma, Bentley showed its confidence from having been here before. The Falcons reached the 2024 NCAA Quarterfinals in the Sanford Pentagon, when Bentley became the first-ever #8 seed to beat the #1 seed (Ferris State).
Kills by Sophia Poehlein and Elena Coban, along with a service ace by Tory Vitko, allowed Bentley to take a 6-2 lead in the opening set against Point Loma. However, the Sea Lions went on a 10-1 run to take a 12-7 lead. Point Loma held the lead for the rest of the set.
Similarly to the first set, Bentley had a strong start to the second stanza. Hannah Rounds put away a couple of kills, and Elizabeth Blinn served up an ace as the Falcons jumped out to an 8-2 lead.
Bentley’s lead was narrowed down to 12-8, and that’s when the Sea Lions went on a 6-0 run to take a two-point lead. The Falcons kept pace with Point Loma and trailed by just a point, 19-18, following a Sea Lions error. A kill by Blinn kept Bentley within a point, 22-21, but Point Loma scored the next three points to win the second set.
Sophia Poehlein had a team-high nine kills, and Blinn put away five blocks. Vitko posted a double-double with 23 assists and 13 digs, while Erica Borzone had a team-high 14 digs.
In addition to its regional title, the 2025 Falcons won both the Northeast 10 Regular-Season Championship and the Northeast 10 Tournament title. The Falcons went undefeated in conference and regional matches this season.
