READING, Pa. - The Hood College volleyball team needed a win to qualify for the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Tournament and got it with a 3-1 victory at Alvernia. 

Set scores were 26-24, 25-15, 20-25 and 25-19.

With the win, Hood qualifies for the MAC Commonwealth playoffs for the first time since joining the conference in 2012. The Blazers last played in a conference tournament in 2006, when they hosted the Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference Tournament. Hood will be the fifth seed and will travel to face fourth-seeded Widener in the MAC Commonwealth First Round on November 2.

Elena Young (Hagerstown, Md. / South Hagerstown) had 17 kills and six blocks, becoming just the second player in school history with 350 kills in season, and the first since Jenni Ferris in 2001 (453). Payton Belella (Smithsburg, Md. / Smithsburg) dished out 43 assists and had nine digs. She passed teammate Kathryn Jones (Newfane, N.Y. / Newfane) for third all-time at Hood with 989 assists. Jones had 11 kills, two aces, eight digs and two blocks. Gabriela Enriquez (Frederick, Md. / Gov. Thomas Johnson) checked in with 10 kills and three blocks. Brenna Elizondo (Littleton, Colo. / Heritage) had 23 digs, while Caroline Kinna (Frederick, Md. / Walkersville) added 17. Bethany Montague (Baltimore, Md. / Redeemer Classical Christian) tallied three blocks.

Hood faced a set point in the opener, 24-23, but kills by Young and Montague put Hood ahead, and a block by Montague and Jones won the set. In the second set a Kristen Sipling kill pulled Alvernia within 15-14, before Hood closed out the set with a 10-1 run for a two-set lead. Young had three blocks and a kill in a 7-1 run to open set three for Hood, but the Crusaders closed the gap and won their first set of the night. The Blazers came out in the fourth set reenergized and got four kills from Young and three from Enriquez during a 14-6 run to open the set. 

The Blazers' 18 wins are the most since a 19-victory season in 2000. 

Sipling had a dozen kills to pace Alvernia. Abby O'Donnell dished out 21 assists, while Lauryn Snyder had 15. Krissy Silio had 20 digs.

Before heading to the MAC Commonwealth Tournament, Hood closes out the regular season with a tri-match at Rosemont with City College of New York on Saturday, October 31 at 11 a.m.