Concord High alumna Elizabeth Blinn was a defensive stalwart on the volleyball court for the Crimson Tide. Her talents took her to Bentley University, where she’s about to play the biggest match of her life in the Division II Elite Eight.
Blinn left a strong legacy at Concord High after dominating in volleyball, basketball and softball for all four years and becoming the valedictorian of the 2022 class.
The former Concord Monitor Girls’ Athlete of the Year, Girls’ Volleyball and Basketball Player of the Year, is competing in her third NCAA tournament and third D2 Elite Eight tie with the Bentley Falcons (27-4), as they vie for a national championship.
Her ascent only continued in college, and she has proven to be one of the best NCAA Division II volleyball players in the country for Bentley University.
Her prowess on the court was evident during her four years for the Crimson Tide. She was an All-State honoree in all three varsity sports, and she’s honed her abilities at the net for the past four years at Bentley.
Adjusting to the longer off-season, without two other sports to focus on, was challenging for Blinn.
“It was a big jump from the level I was playing at back at New Hampshire, but it was so awesome just to be able to develop playing against that kind of competition,” she said about her development at Bentley.
Now a senior, Blinn leads all of Division II in blocks per set (1.67) and was recently honored as the Northeast-10 Defensive Player of the Year. She’s a two-time All-Northeast-10 and AVCA Division 2 All-East Region first-team selection.
Blinn is the first volleyball player in Bentley history to be named to an All-American Team. She was named to the Third Team by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.
After four years as a middle blocker for the Falcons, she leads active Division II players in career blocks per set (1.35). Blinn also put her stamp on Bentley history as her 529 career blocks place her second all-time for the school.
“Before going to college, I really loved blocking,” Blinn said. “Our team identity, a lot is defense, and so it really allowed me to embrace it.”
Bentley head coach Joey Pacis said her impact goes beyond what can be quantified in stats. Many opposing teams have designed their game plan to avoid her at the net. Blinn’s progression on the offensive side this season has also helped immensely, he explained.
“She’s a leader by example. She’s a phenomenal student athlete,” Pacis said.
As talented on the court as she is off it, the corporate finance and accounting major already has a job prospect lined up after college—but she’s not graduated yet.
For now, she’s focused on the upcoming match and also relieved she doesn’t have to worry about finding what to do after volleyball when she graduates in May.
“All the way back to my first coaches in middle school up through high school, my club coaches, they all really instilled the love for the game in me,” Blinn said. “And without them, I would not be where I am today.”
No. 6 Bentley’s match against No. 3 Point Loma on Thursday in Sioux Falls, S.D., will be a rematch that the Falcons will have to turn around. Earlier this season, Point Loma beat Bentley in four sets at the Colorado Premier Challenge.
A lot can change in three months, Coach Pacis said, and he believes his team has the experience to pull off the upset. The game will be played at 12 p.m. EST and can be watched on ESPN+.
