LAKEWOOD, NJ (Nov. 24, 2024) - It was No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the finals and the stage was set for a classic CACC Tournament final. But Georgian Court, in a season full of dramatics wins and epic comebacks, were over the drama. They put the idea of a thrilling championship game away early as they asserted their dominance in a 3-0 sweep of Post. The Lions won 25-20, 25-22, 25-20 and left no doubt about who the best team in the CACC in 2024 was. The win clinches the CACC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and moves GCU to 21-9 this season.

How it Happened
• Both teams hit very well in the match. The Lions were a tick under .300 at .291 and Post a tick above .200 at .203. 
• Blocking was a big factor with the Lions putting back nine blocks and Post not getting a single one.
• Elsewhere defensively, GCU hung with Post, one of the better digging teams in the nation. Post secured 61 and the Lions 56.
• GCU also got points on the serve landing eight aces to the Eagles four and committed one fewer service error.
Set 1
• Post had a lead for much of set one, and it looked like this might be another game where the Lions get down early.
• After a Hannah Brandt kill made it 18-13, Georgian Court rattled off five straight points with Amari Morales at the service line to tie the set at 18-all.
• Still tied at 19, Georgian Court continued their momentum with kills from Giorgia Cappelletti and Martina Croce and an attack error from the Eagles.
• A Post timeout only stopped the Lions push for a short while and kills from Cappelletti and Chelsea Ross and a block from Ross and Nylene Mateo gave GCU set one, 25-20.
Set 2
• The second set was the closest with 11 ties and three lead changes. 
• Neither team had more than a two-point lead until the latter stages of the set.
• Tied again at 18 after a lot of back-and-forth play, GCU scored three straight to take the lead for good. A service error put the Lions up 19-18 and a Croce ace and Mateo kill made it 21-18.
• The teams traded points the rest of the set, which was okay with the Lions and again it was Ross putting the finishing touches on the frame, this time with a kill for a 25-20 win.
• Both teams hit incredibly well in the set with Post landing 17 kills to three errors for a .400 attack percentage and the Lions 15 kills and one error to hit .368.
Set 3
• While Post fought back to tie the score a handful of times, Georgian Court never trailed in set three.
• Tied a four, GCU went on a 4-0 run with a kill and an ace from Mateo and a kill and block from Amiyah Woods.
• The Eagles didn't go down quietly, and rallied to tie at 11.
• Still tied at 15, the Lions again scored four straight helped out by two Post attack errors to get on top for good, 19-15.
• Mateo scored the Lions final two points with two emphatic kills to clinch the sweep and championship for the Lions.

Lion Stat Leaders
• Nylene Mateo landed 15 kills with nine digs and three blocks. She was also 16-for-16 on service receptions.
• Chelsea Ross was nearly perfect hitting 10 kills with out an attack errors and a .500 hitting percentage. She put back seven blocks as well.
• Giorgia Cappelletti added six kills and 11 digs.
• Carmen Rivera finished with a match-high 19 digs.
• Amari Morales had three service aces off the bench.
• Iciar Zayas passed out 21 assists with nine digs. Dayna Diaz added 13.

For the Eagles
• Kristina Peric led Post with 13 kills.
• Hannah Brandt added 11.
• Maria Branco dished out 22 assists with 11 digs.
• Alyssa Groves dug out 18 Lion attacks and landed two service aces.

News and Notes
• This is the Lions seventh Championship in CACC history and first since 2019.
• Head Coach Shana Rayside was also on that 2019 championship team, as a player.
• Martina Croce scored her 500th career point.
• Following the match, Chelsea Ross was named the Tournament MVP. Giorgia Cappelletti, Nylene Mateo, Amiyah Woods and Iciar Zayas also made the All-Tournament Team. 
• The win is the Lions eighth straight win. Their longest winning streak since winning nine straight in 2021.

Quoteable
Chelsea Ross
On what the Championship win means to her
• It's my senior year and me and these girls have had these goals since the end of last season. We put in the work over the summer, we put in the work in preseason and throughout the season. Honestly, I feel like my teammates are the MVP. They're my strength.

On seeing all the hard work pay off with a CACC Tournament Championship
• I don't have words to describe it. It's the best feeling. It's a feeling I've never felt before.

On continuing the strong play into the NCAA Regional Tournament
• Consistency with practice. We got our one goal, but the season's not over yet.

On playing winning the tournament at home in front of friends and family
• I love that my family gets to join me. They come from all over. Especially it being my last year. I'm feeling special. I got to show off for my loved ones.

Shana Rayside 
On what she's feeling having just won a CACC Tournament Championship
• I'm speechless. I'm so proud of them. The way that they went out there and dominated showed exactly what we talked about from day one of preseason.

On the performance of Tournament MVP Chelsea Ross
• She's phenomenal. Chelsea really works hard and drives the underclassmen to be the best that they can be and they look up to her. The way she performed today, I knew she wasn't going to perform any less.

On the team's comeback during set one
• I keep reminding the keeps, what are you playing for? You're playing for the people besides you, you're playing for the people that came to watch you. That kind of was the flip that switched for them.

On what it means to raise another championship banner
• It's amazing. Shoutout to [former head coach] Dan Sempkowski for the last 12 years he was here for having such an amazing program. Then giving it to me to continue that success means a lot.

On making some noise in the NCAA Regional Tournament
• It's still the same way we've been doing it. Working hard behind the scenes, working hard in practice, working hard off the court, all of that and we should be set. 

Up Next
• While the story of the CACC is finished, the story of the season for the Lions is not. GCU knows they've clinched a spot in the NCAA Regional Tournament starting Dec. 5. They find out who they're playing and where tomorrow night at the NCAA Selection Show airing at 7:30 pm.