FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The top-seeded Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team saw its 2023 season come to a close against No. 4-seeded LIU on Friday evening in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Semifinals at the Pitt Center, 3-1. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 12-15, 11-3 NEC
LIU: 12-18, 9-5 NEC
 
Top Performers:
Gaby Zovko: 28 assists, 14 digs, 12 kills, 1 ace
Dominique Felix: 20 kills, 14 digs, 2 blocks
Jasmine Rogers: 16 digs, 8 assists, 3 aces
 
How It Happened:
The Sharks opened the first set with a 7-4 lead before the Pioneers answered by cutting the defict to one, 8-7. After SHU tied the score at 10-10, LIU retook a three-point advantage, 13-10, with a 3-0 run. From there, both teams started to trade points until a Pios' rally got them within two, 24-22. Unfortunately for Sacred Heart, the comeback was thwarted in the next play as the Sharks secured a 25-22 win. 

The Pioneers started the second set strong, winning 10 of the first 14 points to storm ahead 10-4. However, SHU's lead was short-lived, as the Sharks put together an 8-0 run to go up 12-10. LIU remained ahead until a 4-0 Sacred Heart surge gave the home team a 19-17 advantage. A 3-0 run put the Pioneers on the cusp of winning the set, but a 5-1 Sharks' burst put them in pole position for the frame. At that point, both teams withstood the tense environment and fought off set points until the score sat tied at 29-29. Unfortunately for the Pios, a service and attack error followed, which gave LIU the set 31-29. 

The third frame was all Pioneers, as the home team secured a 25-14 victory. SHU stormed ahead 11-4 on the back of a potent offense and stellar serving. The lead widened to 18-6 after a SHU 6-0 run, which was highlighted by three Jasmine Rogers' aces. The Pios cruised down the stretch, sealing the win with a service error by the Sharks. 

In the fourth, the teams remained close over the first 20 points as the score sat tied at 10-10. The Sharks took control from there with a 6-0 run to go up 16-10. After trading points for much of the set, SHU fought its way back to being down two, 22-20, following a 5-0 run. The momentum then swung around in LIU's favor, as trading points for the remainder of the set was good enough for it to punch its ticket to tomorrow's championship match. 

In the final match of her senior season, Dominique Felix set a new career high with 20 kills to go along with 14 digs for a double-double. After nearly missing the feat all season, first year Gaby Zovko finally got a triple-double with 28 assists, 14 digs and 12 kills, that latter being a new season high. With an ace tonight, Zovko finishes the year ranked first in single-season program history with 0.57 aces per set and second with 54 total aces. Senior Kate Anderson also had a stellar finale with eight kills and a block while hitting .462. In her final collegiate match, Jasmine Rogers led the team with 16 digs, reaching 1,302 in her illustrious career, which ranks fifth in program history.