NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Gallaudet University women's volleyball team huddled up one final time before leaving the court here Thursday after they lost, 3-1, to Stevens Institute of Technology in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Championship.
Gallaudet (30-5) lost for the first time in over two months as the Bison saw their 22-match winning streak end in the Freeman Center on the campus of Christopher Newport University.
Stevens (28-6) took the first two sets before Gallaudet got on the scoreboard with a three-point third-set win. The Ducks were too much for the Bison in the fourth as GU lost 17-25, 23-25, 25-22, 17-25.
The Ducks advance to the second round and will face top-seed Washington & Lee University tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 22) at 4:30 p.m. The Generals (33-2) defeated John Jay (22-7) in straight sets; 16-25, 16-25, 11-25.
It was a nerve-wrecking start to the match for Gallaudet as the Bison made some uncharacteristic mistakes and never got comfortable in the first set. This was the first set the Bison had dropped in over a month (eight matches).
It was a different Gallaudet team in the second set as the Bison played with more confidence and energy. The Bison scored three of the first four points and later made crucial blocks against the Ducks. GU led for most of the closely contested set as neither team led by much. The Bison trailed 19-21 before they scored four straight points, including back-to-back service aces by
Ashlene Etkie (Austin, Texas) to gain a 23-21 lead. Stevens got the sideout on a GU service error and the Ducks offense came alive to score two kills and a Bison attack error gave the set to Stevens, 23-25.
The second set loss would haunt the Bison as they found themselves in a 2-0 deficit instead of a 1-1 match.
Stevens scored the first five points of the third set and GU head coach
Lynn Ray Boren called a timeout to help break-up the momentum. The timeout worked as Gallaudet slowly chipped away at things. Down 3-10 the Bison rallied and pulled to within one, 10-11. Senior middle hitter
Anya Pothorski (Columbus, Ohio) made a kill and big block to give GU a 17-15 lead as Stevens took a timeout.
The Ducks continued to be strategic with their light touches around the net as they were able to find the open areas against the Bison defense. Stevens knotted the match at 19 apiece on one of those light touches. That point forced Coach Boren to hunch over and place his hands on his knees, as if he felt the game slipping away from Gallaudet's grasp.
A bit of luck went Gallaudet's way when Stevens served the ball long to give the Bison the critical sideout. On two of the next three points the Bison delivered big blocks from junior outside hitter
Citrine Lummer (Frederick, Md.) and a block assist from junior setter
Ella Gamble (Cullowhee, N.C.) and sophomore middle hitter
Jada Zarembka (Riverside, Calif.) as GU led 23-20. Two points later, Zarembka recorded one of her seven kills to push the Bison to match point. GU turned to sophomore outside hitter
Brielle Worley (Amarillo, Texas) for the game-winner as she slammed down one of her 17 kills.
"We sprinted back into that set. I am very proud of the fight in the team. That's who we are, when we lose, we bounce back," said Gallaudet assistant coach
Ben Campman during the Gallaudet postgame press conference.
It was a close fourth set as GU led by a point several times before the match got tied up at 10-10 and Stevens scored the next point, 10-11, to force the Bison to take a timeout. The Ducks went on a 7-0 run as Gallaudet made four consecutive attack errors. The Bison trailed 10-16 and later were down 15-23. Stevens senior outside hitter Parker Adkins (12 kills) tallied back-to-back kills to end the match and Gallaudet's season.
"We may have lost but we never stopped fighting," said Worley. "That is just us. That is the culture and tradition here. I am really proud of the team for playing like that."
The Bison, who entered with the third best team hitting percentage in the country, was held to a season low .099 as they made 28 errors on 142 swings and 42 kills. The 28 errors are the third most in a match this season. GU, the top serving team in Division III, started off slow with its service game but rallied to finish with eight service aces.
Worley led all hitters with 17 kills while Zarembka and senior opposite
Cassidy Perry (Frederick, Md.) finished with seven kills and three blocks each. Gamble passed out 32 assists, made seven digs and one block. Pothorski led the team with four blocks (one solo). Junior libero
Nicole Hicks (Corona, Calif.) made a team-high 17 digs.
"We never give up until the game is over," said Zarembka. "We didn't finish the game as we expected, we wanted to win, but that is how it goes some times."
Stevens was paced by Sarah Bolduc's double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs. The Ducks posted a .221 hitting percentage and made 12 team blocks.
BISON TRACKS
- This was the first time Gallaudet and Stevens faced each other since 2008
- Gallaudet never got shutout this season, all losses were 3-1 setbacks
- This was GU's fifth NCAA tournament trip to CNU since 2010
- The Bison are now 2-15 all-time in the NCAA tournament
UP NEXT
This concludes the 2024 women's volleyball season for Gallaudet University.
Also see:
