DANBURY, Conn. –  It might as well have been Anna Barry Night in the first round of the Little East Conference women's volleyball playoffs Tuesday night, and because of that,  fifth-seeded Eastern Connecticut State University advanced to the tournament semifinals with a pulsating five-set victory over fourth-seeded Western Connecticut State University at Feldman Arena.

For Eastern (17-7), it may have been a blessing in disguise to be relegated to the tournament's fifth seed (after finishing in a four-way tie for second place) as the Warriors improved to 9-1 on their opponent's home court this year with a 25-22, 30-32, 25-21, 20-25, 18-16 victory that vaulted Eastern into the semifinals for the fifth straight season. Two more victories on the road -- where they have flourished -- would give the Warriors their second LEC tournament crown in three years.

A winner of eight of its last ten since emerging from a four-game tailspin in early October, Eastern visits top-seeded Plymouth State University (23-2) in one semifinal Thursday at 6 p.m. at Foley Gymnasium. Second-seeded Massachusetts Boston (12-12) hosts third-seeded Keene State College (17-12) in the other Thursday semifinal at 7 p.m. The highest remaining seed hosts Saturday's championship match.

It marked Eastern's second straight five-set victory in three days – following Saturday's come-from-behind LEC win over Massachusetts Dartmouth in the regular-season finale -- after the Warriors had lost four of their previous five-set decisions.

Behind the six-foot Barry, Eastern snapped a five-match losing streak at Feldman Arena, handing Western (18-8) only its fourth home loss this year in 14 contests.

In a span of two-plus hours Tuesday night, Barry set a program five-set record with a .651 attack percentage, tied Eastern Hall of Famer Katie Nichols' match record of 31 kills, and moved to within three of her 1,000^th career kill. A former LEC Offensive Player-of-the-Year, LEC Rookie-of-the-Year and LEC tournament MVP, the all-region player strengthened her hold on the top spot in the conference in kills (331), kills per set (3.85), and points (4.30) and took over the LEC lead in attack percentage (.389).

The victory was also Eastern's second five-set one over Western at Feldman Arena in the LEC tournament in the last four post-season matches in Danbury.

The contest was neck-and-neck nearly the entire way. Eastern won the opening set, 25-22, before an epic second stanza. WestConn held a 22-12 advantage before Eastern stormed back to deadlock the count at 23-23. The hosts eventually outlasted the visitors, 32-30, on an Eastern error.  WestConn led 17-14 in the third before Eastern put together yet another rally, coming away with a 25-21 third set victory.

In a match which featured 40 ties and lead changes, Eastern attacked at .481 with only one attack error in the decisive fifth set, with Barry leading the way with seven kills and only one error on nine attempts and Stern following with four kills without an error.

In the fifth set, there were four ties before  junior Nayeli Cruz Martinez (Toa Baja, P.R.) gave Eastern the lead for good (12-11) with a kill.
 
Senior Meg Verizzi (Lebanon) had 63 assists for Eastern – one shy of Eastern Hall of Famer Michelle Cunningham's five-set program record -- and senior Abby Stern (Manchester) chipped in with 19 kills and a match-high 26 digs. Junior libero Paula Pérez (Caguas, P.R.) had 24 digs and a .964 reception percentage on 28 attempts and Cruz Martinez three blocks. Barry also had five blocks.

In the last nine matches, Barry is attacking at .458 and averaging 4.42 kills per set.

Eastern has beaten Plymouth four of the last six times the programs have meet, but the Panthers rallied to win the last two sets and post a five-set win over Eastern ten days ago at Geissler Gymnasium to complete their first perfect conference season and win outright their first regular-season title. The teams last met in the LEC tournament in 2019. In two home matches, the Warriors swept the Panthers in the regular season, only to drop a five-set match to Plymouth in the LEC semifinals five days later.