RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Felician University, the No. 2 seed from the North Division, was eliminated from the 2021 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Women's Volleyball Championship tournament with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-16) quarterfinal lost to visiting Thomas Jefferson University, the South Division's No. 3 seed, on Tuesday evening at Job Gymnasium.

Felician, making its school-record fourth consecutive playoff appearance, was seeking its third straight trip to the CACC semifinals. Instead, the Golden Falcons saw their season come to an end with a won-lost record of 11-19. Jefferson (24-4), the No. 6-ranked team in the NCAA Division II East Region, will make its first visit to the semifinals since 2017 on Saturday when it faces South No. 1 seed Holy Family University at 1 p.m. in Lakewood, N.J.

Senior outside hitter Maddie Sloan (Caldwell, N.J./James Caldwell) (eight digs) and junior outside Hannah Chiswick (Pittstown, N.J./Delaware Valley) led Felician with nine kills each. Freshman outside Morgan Ritchie (Newark, Del./Newark Charter School) hit .500 with 14 kills and nine digs to pace the Rams.

Jefferson freshman setter Kristine Guenther (Aston, Pa./Sun Valley) totaled 38 assists, seven digs and four blocks while guiding her team to a .248 attack percentage. The Rams held Felician to an .075 figure on the attack while compiling edges of 5-1 in aces and 9-3 in blocks.

Set 1 was tied on five occasions in the early going. But ahead, 12-11, Jefferson captured seven of the next eight rallies to move ahead by seven. Felician came as close as 21-18 on three consecutive Sloan kills, but Jess Molen (Newark, N.J./Padua Academy) had a kill and an ace down the stretch as the Rams closed out the set.

Similarly, the second set was even seven times, including as late as 17-17. Jefferson moved ahead for good by gaining the next three points, but a kill from Bridget Thompson (Houston, Texas/St. John XXIII Prep) and a Catherine Lentsch (Elkhorn, Neb./Elkhorn South) block brought the hosts back to within 21-20. But ahead, 22-21, the Rams won the final three points for a 2-0 edge in the match.

Felician jumped out to a 4-0 Set 3 lead, but the Rams answered with the next five points, including three consecutive Ritchie kills and never trailed again. Ahead 10-8, Jefferson seized control with a 6-0 run, and led by as many as 10 points.

Felician senior libero Alondra Diaz Sanchez (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico/Colegio de La Salle) led all players with 26 digs and added five assists. Sloan and Diaz Sanchez were appearing in their final career match for Felician.