WASHINGTON, DC--Mary Washington's volleyball team was in for a surprise when they arrived at the Field House for the 7 p.m. matchup against the Bison.  The Eagles received a welcome from the “Blue Hole”, Gallaudet's unofficial student cheer section. The students stood for the entirety of the match, cheering and urging the crowd to get involved in providing support for the Buff and Blue.

And support the Bison they did--Gallaudet defeated the Eagles to remain undefeated in conference rankings, three games to two. The Bison had a balanced offensive unit behind hitters Katelyn Reese, Justine Jeter, Nukeitra Hayes and Amanda Krieger. The quad-pronged attack sent 54 kills between the Eagle blocking duo of Kathryn Carter and Anne Lutkenhaus.

The win would not also have been possible without the breakout play of Hayes, who has earned the nickname of 'Nuke this!' as she blazed her 13 kills past Eagles, also blocking four shots on defense.

Defensively, the unit responded to Mary Washington's attacks with well-timed digs and receptions, at times even when the Bison were down by as many as nine points at one time. Libero Shana Lehmann made 30 digs as the backbone of the Buff and Blue defense. Micaela Paulone backed her teammate up with 24 digs. 

In the fourth game, the Bison overcame a nine-point deficit to close to within as few as two, behind a patient offense and consistent defense. However, the Eagle defense stayed put with solid blocking, forcing a fifth game.

The final game saw smart plays by both sides as each team blocked shots or made crucial digs to stay in the game. Ultimately, the Bison prevailed, 15-9 after Ludmila Mounty-Weinstock capped the winning kill behind the Eagle defense.

In a rare moment for Coach Boren, he saw four hitters post double-digit kills. Reese led the way with 15, followed by Jeter's 14, Hayes' 13 and Krieger's 12. The 54 kills were set up by Krystle Berrigan, who notched as many assists in tonight's five-game battle. The senior also added 21 digs.

Veteran Tamijo Foronda, who broke several school records as well as earned second team All-American honors last season, was honored in a pre-game ceremony. She received a plaque noting her academic achievements that earned her the Capital Athletic Conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the 2006-07 academic year.

Head Coach Boren also received the Gameplan/AVCA Academic Team Award for 2006-07. The team averaged a 3.3 gpa to earn this honor.

Tonight's victory extends the Bison Home Stand, at 18 consecutive home matches won, dating back to October 4, 2005.

The Bison (7-5, 2-0 CAC) take on York College on the road in continuing conference play on September 25th.

Members of the "Blue Hole" as they count down the points (3) remaining for victory. 

               DS Micaela Paulone                                                        MH Justine Jeter

Provost Emeritus Dr. Michael Moore as he presents the CAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award to Tamijo Foronda for maintaining a 3.9 GPA and making a significant contribution to the volleyball program over the 2006-07 season. Interim Athletic Director Mike Weinstock looks on, with Athletic Operations Specialist Anna Hall.