Mohegan — Emerson Lane has been playing volleyball since her season ended at Waterford High School, competing for South County on the travel circuit.

That’s why she looked like she hadn’t missed a beat Monday night at Mohegan Sun Arena as the Eastern Connecticut Conference faced off against the Southern Connecticut Conference in the inaugural ECC vs. SCC Senior All-Star Classic.

The SCC won four games to one in the exhibition, 25-19, 26-24, 25-15, 25-15, 14-16, with the ECC finally breaking through after the players joyfully danced to “Cotton-Eyed Joe” during a break in the action.

There were 768 people in the stands for the matchup, which featured one last opportunity for fans of the ECC to watch Lane rifle shots over the net untouched and to see East Lyme libero Skylar Bell contort herself for an unlikely dig.

The match was livestreamed on theday.com.

“It was so much fun,” said Lane, who was named the ECC’s Most Valuable Player and who will play beginning next season at Johnson & Wales in Providence. “I love being able to play with all the girls that were on the other side of the net for all season and finally being able to play on the same team with them.

“We were all happy to be on the same side.”

Actually, Fitch’s Tessa Cantone, who played libero for the Falcons, does play on the same team with Lane during the offseason, competing for South County, as well.

Cantone and Lane had both played at Mohegan Sun before during The Day Volleyball Invitational in October.

After a spirited performance in that match, a win over Ledyard, Cantone sprinted into the stands and began hugging her family and friends. That’s how much volleyball means to Cantone, an All-ECC selection this year, as was Lane.

“Volleyball made me who I am today, even though it’s just a sport, but the connections I’ve made and how I’ve grown over the years has definitely made me who I am today. ... It’s such a big arena. It’s an amazing moment.”

Shelton’s Brielle LaFerriere was named MVP for the SCC team.

Each team was also presented with a SPIKE award (sportsmanship, perseverance, integrity, kindness, effort). Bell won the award for the ECC and Samantha Chy from Jonathan Law took the honor for the SCC.

The ECC led in the second game 22-18 following a kill by Lane, the middle hitter, who was heating up, but the SCC broke a 24-24 tie on a kill by Amity’s Lexi Bonato to the back left corner and the SCC won the next point to take the game.

The teams played a full five sets due it being just an exhibition match. The ECC got game point in the fifth on a serve from Ledyard’s Emily Peckham.

The match featured the players of the year from both conferences.

East Lyme’s Bell was the ECC Player of the Year, finishing her career with a school record 1,182 digs in addition to 267 career aces. She was The Day’s 2023 All-Area Player of the Year and a Class L all-state selection, recording 376 digs and 79 aces as she led the Vikings to the ECC Division I tournament title.

Bonato, an outside hitter from Amity who will play next season at Springfield College, was the SCC Player of the Year. She had 253 kills, 153 digs, 30 aces, 24 blocks and 12 assists, earning Class LL all-state honors. Bonato finished with 671career kills.

The roster from the ECC team, coached by Griswold’s Jamie Bruno, listed five members of The Day’s 2023 All-Area Team: East Lyme’s Bell and Addison Soleau, Montville’s Zoie Farrar, Waterford’s Lane and Bacon Academy’s Kiera Stewart.

v.fulkerson@theday.com