No. 1 JWU Wins GNAC Championship With 3-1 Win Over No. 2 Rivier

Senior Catherine Bravo (Toa Baja, Puerto Rico) was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2010 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship after leading the top-seeded women's volleyball team to a 3-1 win (17-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-20) against second seeded Rivier at the Harborside RAC on Saturday afternoon. 

JWU senior Nikki Balchunas (Brockton, Mass.) and freshman Giselle Cram-Ortiz (Vega Alto, Puerto Rico) were also named to the all-tournament team.  Senior Nicole Rodriguez (Newton, Mass.) and sophomore Kenna Finlayson (Derry, N.H.) of Rivier were also all-tournament selections. 

Bravo paced Johnson & Wales with 17 kills and 14 set assists while Balchunas chipped in with nine kills and 12 digs.  Cram-Ortiz had 11 digs in the victory for the Wildcats.  Senior Emma Anderson (Meriden, Conn.) added seven kills and one block for JWU.

Finlayson paced Rivier with 23 kills, 13 digs and four blocks while sophomore Meghan Farrell (Marlborough, Mass.) had nine kills in the setback.  Junior Lauren Saccoccio (Warwick, R.I.) added 41 set assists and 11 digs for the Raiders.

With the win, JWU improves to 24-12 overall while Rivier falls to 23-11 for the year.  The Wildcats receive the conference's automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Division III Championship.  The field will be announced tomorrow afternoon.