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HOBOKEN, N.J. -- Top-seeded Nazareth outlasted Philadelphia Biblical Saturday in a grueling, five-set semifinal match to advance to Sunday's championship match of North East Collegiate Volleyball Association Tournament at Stevens Institute of Technology. Championship match against Baruch starts at 1 p.m.

Scores were 25-19, 21-25, 25-22, 17-15, 15-9 as Nazareth won its 19th straight match and ran its overall record to 28-3. The Golden Flyers matched a school record for most victories in a season as they also won 28 matches in 2008 and 2009. Philadelphia Biblical, whom Nazareth defeated for last year's NECVA title, dropped to 23-11.

Junior outside hitter Billy Gimello had 20 kills, including the match-clinching point, and eight digs and senior Hans Schroeder added 13 kills. Seniors Brian Bunch and Ellis Walsh delivered 11 and 10 kills respectively and sophomore setter EJ Wells-Spicer amassed 57 assists.

Earlier in the day, Nazareth downed 8th-seeded Stevens in three sets 25-23, 25-23, 25-19. Nazareth got 14 kills from Gimello and 35 assists from Wells-Spicer.

Nazareth trailed 22-21 in the first set before rallying to take four of the last five points to take the set. Schroeder had a kill and a service ace and teamed with Walsh for a block during the decisive stretch. Sophomore Robert Kraft recorded a kill for set point.

Nazareth led for most of the second set, before Stevens rallied to tie the score at 20. Gimello had kills for Nazareth's next two points and Schroeder added a kill on set point. Then in the third set, Gimello added four of his kills.