UMass Boston Women’s Volleyball concluded their season Monday, Nov. 14, in the semi-finals of the LEC tournament. They finished with a 19–9 overall record, a 10–4 record at home and 7–5 on the road. It’s an improvement from last year when they finished 17–10 overall, 6–1 at home and 6–7 on the road. The Beacons played better in conference play as well with a 7–3 record, gathering two more wins than last year’s 5–3 effort.
The Beacons faced not just an increase in their number of games, but in competition as well; UMass Boston faced nationally ranked teams in out-of-conference play such as New York University and MIT. At the times of the games, NYU was ranked at #6 in the NCAA, and MIT was #10.
The Little East Conference didn’t do them any favors as well — five out of the nine teams finished the season with winning records. They went 2–2 against these foes, falling to the top two teams in the conference in each meeting.
Plymouth State and UMass Dartmouth beat UMass Boston by a combined score of 6–1 in the regular season. The Panthers and the Corsairs were dominant all year long, separating themselves from the rest of the pack early. The Beacons are on a four-game losing streak against Plymouth State and UMass Dartmouth. A win against either of these two teams would’ve put UMass Boston among the top teams in the conference, but now they haven’t won the tournament since 2021 after winning 10 championships in 14 years.
The team recorded 1104 total kills this season, an improvement from last year where they recorded 1014. They averaged 11.0 kills per set once again this year, good for fifth in the LEC.
Mya Perron, Lauren Westlund, and Paige Coulson were the offensive leaders for UMass Boston this season. Perron led the team with 230 total kills and 242.5 total points, a big improvement from her debut effort last season. She really stood out this past season, and the team will look to build around her next season.
Senior Dylan Wertzberger had her best season yet as she set herself as a cornerstone of the 2024 team’s core with 160 kills and 158 digs. Wertzberger was a rock for the Beacons for the entirety of the season.
Toni Guerra totaled 198 digs in her final season as a Beacon, and Jade Herandez recorded 18 digs and 17 kills. Lastly, Katie Rennie recorded 20 kills and 11 digs in her last season. A fair amount of seniors supplied UMass Boston’s roster this year.
UMass Boston Volleyball had another great year, and definitely stood up to the increase in competition they faced. Although a few familiar losses to tough opponents like UMass Dartmouth and Plymouth State, there is a lot to look forward to in the next season. The Beacons will look to win their 11th LEC championship in the 2025 season.
