With the victory, Springfield is now 32-2, while Westfield State ends its season at 15-21.
Springfield's win fills out the second semifinal with the expected winners all advancing. Saturday's line-up will now include #2-seeded UMass-Boston versus #3-seeded Bowdoin at 3:30 pm. That will be followed by #1-seeded Springfield versus #4-seeded Tufts at 6 pm.
As has been the case all year, Lauren Torvi led the Pride in tonight's match. Named the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference Player of the Year just a few days ago, Torvi finished with a match-high 14 kills and a .500 hitting percentage. But every bit as impressive tonight was fellow senior Kim Giaquinto with her 10 kills, and just one error for a .529 hitting percentage. Gianquinto supplemented that with three service aces and 11 digs, both team highs in those categories.
Tessa Smolinski finished with seven kills and nine digs. Molly Giannattasio ended with 20 set assists. Itza Nieves finished with 10 digs.
For the Owls, Julia Warner finished with six kills, Alex Shaw with five kills. Kerin DeGirolamo had 15 set assists.
Warner led her squad with 12 digs, followed by DeGirolamo with nine.
Springfield was never in any serious trouble in this match.
But the Pride must face a familiar opponent on Saturday in Tufts. Springfield has lost just twice this season, but one of those losses was to the Jumbos in the Volleyball Hall of Fame Invitational in South Hadley on Oct. 22. The score was 3-1 with the Jumbos prevailing 29-27, 25-21, 21-25, 25-23.
Moira Long will enter her third season as head women's volleyball coach in the fall of 2013. Long wasted little time putting her stamp on the program, taking the Pride to the NCAA Championship Elite Eight in 2011.
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