NCAA East Regional Quarterfinals
No. 8 Southern Connecticut Owls (23-10)
at No. 1 American International Yellow Jackets (27-6)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 2
Time: 5 PM
Location: Henry A. Butova Gymnasium (Springfield, Mass.)
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All-Time in the NCAA Tournament

• SCSU made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2017 when it secured an at-large bid and competed in the East Regional.
• The Owls defeated NYIT in its first NCAA Tournament game, before falling to host and regional top-seed New Haven in the second round.
• Southern made its second appearance in the 2018 NCAA Tournament after winning their first-ever NE10 Conference Championship. The No. 7-seeded Southern fell to No. 2-seeded Adelphi in the NCAA Quarterfinals.

Matchup Preview

• This will be the first meeting in history between Southern Connecticut and American International College in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Owls defeated the Yellow Jackets in the 2018 NE10 Championship. AIC had lost back-to-back conference championships in 2018 and 2019 before claiming their first NE10 Championship since 1996 this season. 
• Thursday's matchup features seven All-Conference players from both sides. The Owls' side features Gabriela Gaibur (First Team), Abigail Epstein (Second Team), and Krishnalei So'oto (Third Team + All-Rookie). The Yellow Jackets' side features two major award winners in Andrea Serra-Rosa, who was crowned NE10 Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference, and Naomi Eckert-Rivera, who was tabbed as NE10 Setter of the Year and First Team All-Conference.
• AIC has won its last 20 matches. The Owls were 4-1 in their last five games heading into the NE10 Tournament Quarterfinals. SCSU fell to Bentley, 3-1. 

Team Statistical Leaders

Southern Connecticut
Kills: Gabriela Gaibur (371), Abigail Epstein (316), Gabriela Vazquez (270)
Digs: Krishnalei So'oto (513), Gabriela Gaibur (439), Gabriela Vazquez (242)
Assists: Taylor Jones (983), Heliceliz Rivera (164)
Blocks: Abigail Epstein (96), Erika Benson (75) Gabriela Vazquez (43) 
Service Aces: Abigail Epstein (50), Krishnalei So'oto (42), Gabriela Gaibur (34), Taylor Jones (30)
 
American International
Kills: Andrea Serra-Rosa (416), Paola Soto-Burgos (258), Mai-Lani Hernandez (222)
Digs: Amanda Rodriguez (500), Naomi Eckert-Rivera (325), Andrea Serra-Rosa (299) 
Assists: Naomi Eckert-Rivera (1,280), Amanda Rodriguez (100)
Blocks: Mai-Lani Hernandez (88), Ada Guilera Martinez (57), Naomi Eckert-Rivera (44)
Service Aces: Ada Guilera Martinez (42), Naomi Eckert-Rivera (34), Andrea Serra-Rosa (31)

Team Notes

• The Owls' have reached the 20-win mark for the ninth time in the program's 52-year history. This was the first time since 2017 that the Owls hit the 23-win mark.
• The Owls are 2-2 in five-set matches this season, 9-6 in four-set matches and 12-2 in three-set matches. Southern swept its opponents 12 times this season.

Player Notes

 Abigail Epstein (Gr., Middle Hitter, Crystal River, Fla.)

• 2021 Second-Team All-Conference
• 2019 Second-Team All-Conference
• Started all 33 games for Southern and appeared in all but one set. 
• Enters the NCAA Tournament with a .333-hitting percentage (2nd, NE10), 96 total blocks (1st, NE10), 50 service aces (1st, NE10) 427.5 points (5th, NE10).
• Epstein had nine games with at least four blocks and seven games with at least three service aces.
   

Gabriela Gaibur (Jr., Outside Hitter, Monroe, N.Y.)

• 2021 First-Team All-Conference
• Started and played in every one of the Owls 122 sets through 33 games.
• 20 double-doubles
• 27 games with double-digit digs and five games with at least 20 digs
• Nationally ranked in kills for most of the season

 
Taylor Jones (So., Setter, Middletown, N.Y.)

• Jones had a remarkable season that saw her eclipse two program records: one for single game assists and one for career 50-plus games.
• Enters the NCAA Tournament with 983 assists (3rd, NE10), 9.83 assists per set (5th, NE10).
• The sophomore's 983 assists are a record for a first-year player. Jones, who is in her first year on the court due to the pandemic, topped Kailyn O'Neal 2017 freshman record of 973 assists. She also sits fifth all-time in single season assists.
• Jones reached double figures in assists in all 30 matches she appeared in, reaching the 30-assist mark 16 times, 40-assist mark nine times, and the 50-assist mark six times. She hit the 20-plus assist mark in 25 of her 33 games.
• One of five players in the NE10 with 900-plus assists.
• One of two players in the NE10 to have six 50-plus assist games.
• Jones recorded 12 double-doubles on the season.

 
Gabriela Vazquez (Gr., Outside Hitter, Vega Alta, Puerto Rico)

• Vazquez was a member of the Owls first-ever NE10 Championship team. In addition to a member of the squad when the Owls made their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
• Vazquez is the only player to have appeared in all three of the Owls NCAA Tournament appearances (2017, 2018, 2021). 
• Enters this year's tournament with 270 kills (12th, NE10), 307 points scored, and 242 digs. 
• Six double-doubles on the season
• Vazquez sits third on the Owls in points scored and kills behind Epstein and Gaibur. 

 
Erika Benson (Sr., Middle Hitter, Kings Park, N.Y.)

• Appeared in all 33 games for Southern and all but two sets.
• Best statistical campaign in an Owl uniform. 
• Enters the NCAA Tournament with 241 kills (16th, NE10), 75 blocks (T-5, NE10), and 288 points scored.
• Benson sits second behind Epstein for total blocks, block solos (17) and block assists (58). 

Krishnalei So'oto (So., Libero, Oceanside, Calif.)

• 2021 Third-Team All-Conference
• 2021 All-Rookie Team
• Appeared in all 33 games for the Owls.
• Recorded 10 games with at least 20 digs.
• 25 games with double-digit digs.
• So'oto enters the NCAA Tournament with 513 digs (3rd, NE10), 4.54 digs per set, and 42 service aces (T-3rd, NE10). 
• So'oto leads the Owls in digs per set (4.54) and total digs (513), while sitting second behind Epstein in service aces with 42. 

 Kacey Deecher (So., Outside Hitter, Granby, Mass.)

• Appeared in 30 games and 81 sets for the Owls this season.
• Eight double-digit dig games this season and two double-doubles.
• Enters her first NCAA Tournament with 217 digs, 2.68 digs per set, 107 points scored, 85 kills.

 
2021 East Region Schedule
Thursday, December 2, 2021 | Quarterfinals
Match 1: No. 3 Stonehill vs No. 6 Jefferson - 12 pm
Match 2: No. 2 Daemen vs No. 7 Bentley - 2:30 pm
Match 3: No. 1 AIC vs No. 8 Southern Connecticut - 5 pm
Match 4: No. 4 New Haven vs No. 5 Holy Family - 7:30 pm

Friday, December 3 2021 | Semifinals
Match 5: Winner of Match 1 vs Winner of Match 2 – 5 pm
Match 6: Winner of Match 3 vs Winner of Match 4 - 7:30 pm

Saturday, December 4, 2021 | Championship
Match 7: Winner of Match 5 vs the Winner of Match 6 - 5 pm