BOSTON, MA (November 11, 2026) -- The UMass Boston volleyball team opens the Little East Conference Semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, at 6 p.m. at the Clark Athletic Center Gymnasium, hosting No. 4 Plymouth State University in a rematch of the regular-season finale played just five days ago. The Beacons, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, are looking to avenge a 3-2 defeat at Plymouth State on Nov. 7 that handed them their only conference loss of the season.
About the Beacons
UMass Boston enters the semifinal at 19-8 overall and 7-1 in Little East Conference play, earning the top seed and home-court advantage for the tournament. The Beacons received a first-round bye and have won four of their last five matches, with their only setback in that stretch being the five-set loss at Plymouth State. Mya Perron leads the team with 290 kills on the season, while Audrey Cofield directs the offense with 701 assists and enters the match five shy of 1,400 for her career. Ashlee Wudi anchors the back row with 378 digs, and Addie Blomgren paces the front row defensively with 111 blocks. In the Nov. 7 finale, Cofield posted 31 assists and 20 digs, Perron recorded 11 kills and 10 digs, and Blomgren contributed seven kills and five blocks.
About the Panthers
Plymouth State arrives as the No. 4 seed riding a five-match winning streak, having advanced to the semifinals with a 3-1 quarterfinal victory over Eastern Connecticut State on Tuesday, Nov. 10. The Panthers are 21-5 overall and have not lost since Oct. 30. Sya McKay is Plymouth State's most dangerous offensive weapon, leading the team with 263 kills and 81 blocks on the season; she was named Little East Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the fourth time this season on Nov. 9 after averaging 3.13 kills per set in wins over Colby-Sawyer and UMass Boston. McKay posted a match-high 20 kills in the five-set win over the Beacons on Nov. 7 and followed that with 14 kills and five blocks in the quarterfinal. Danielle Emerson runs the Plymouth State offense with 489 assists, and Christa Imbriano leads the defense with 381 digs, including a match-high 19 in the quarterfinal win.
The Matchup
This semifinal is an immediate rematch, and the Beacons will be playing with the memory of a 15-6 fifth-set loss still fresh. Plymouth State holds a 19-17 edge in the all-time series between the two programs, and the Panthers have now won the most recent meeting — but UMass Boston has the home floor at the Clark Athletic Center, where they are 8-1 this season. The contrast at the net could be decisive: Blomgren's 111 blocks against McKay's ability to find angles at .370 or better in recent matches sets up a compelling individual battle. Cofield's ability to distribute against Plymouth State's block — she had 31 assists in five sets on Nov. 7 — will be central to whether the Beacons can generate the offensive variety needed to take a different result. Plymouth State's five-match winning streak and McKay's current form make them a formidable opponent, but UMass Boston's top seed and home crowd give the Beacons every reason to believe a different outcome is within reach.
Up Next
The winner of the Semifinals will advance to the Little East Conference Final on Saturday, Nov. 14, to face the winner of the Keene State vs. UMass Dartmouth semifinal. Come out and support the Beacons as they look to punch their ticket to the championship.
--FIND A WAY—
