WASHINGTON – Gallaudet University's women's volleyball team celebrated Senior Night in style Friday evening as the Bison swept Wilson College in front of a spirited Homecoming crowd of 714 inside the Field House.
Gallaudet (13-9, 4-2 United East) defeated the Phoenix (1-18, 0-6 United East) in straight sets, 25-16, 25-12, 25-23, to secure its third consecutive victory and third straight sweep in as many days.
GU's three seniors took center stage on Padden Court as
Brielle Worley (Amarillo, Texas),
Jada Zarembka (Riverside, Calif.) and
Adriana Jimenez Bonilla (East Elmhurst, N.Y.) were recognized during the Senior Night festivities.
Worley delivered a dominant offensive performance with a match-high 23 kills on 42 attempts while hitting .452. She added seven digs and three service aces to finish with a match-high 26 points.
Zarembka made her presence felt on both sides of the ball with nine kills, six service aces and six digs. She hit .304 and finished with 15.5 points. Jimenez Bonilla appeared in two sets and contributed two digs, one service ace and an assist.
The Bison wasted little time establishing control, taking the opening set 25-16 before rolling through the second, 25-12. Gallaudet hit .355 in the second frame and limited Wilson to five kills and a .033 hitting percentage.
The Phoenix refused to go quietly in the third set, which featured six ties and two lead changes. Wilson recorded 13 kills and hit .323 in its strongest offensive set of the night, but Gallaudet answered with 15 kills of its own and held on for a 25-23 victory to complete the sweep.
Graduate student middle hitter
Bri Eilderts (Omaha, Neb.) added three kills, four service aces and four digs, while first-year setter
Gracie Gloster (Clark, N.J.) distributed 35 assists and collected five digs.
First-year libero
Tori Harris (Stockbridge, Ga.) anchored the Bison defense with a match-high 19 digs and added a service ace.
Wilson was led by Hannah Pollard with eight kills and a .350 hitting percentage. Abby Moreland and Jayda Lichty contributed seven kills apiece, while Sydney Tracey handed out 15 assists.
The evening also provided an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of Gallaudet's senior class. Following the match, head coach
Lynn Ray Boren appeared in a special video message, signing personal memories, stories and words of appreciation for Worley, Zarembka and Jimenez Bonilla.
The tribute capped a memorable Senior Night as the Bison celebrated their graduating players with the Homecoming crowd before the University's annual Pep Rally inside the Field House.
BISON TRACKS
- Gallaudet completed a stretch of three matches in three days with three consecutive straight-set victories over Cedar Crest College, Washington Adventist University and Wilson.
- The Bison combined for 38 service aces over their last three matches, including 15 against Wilson.
- Zarembka's six service aces led Gallaudet against Wilson, followed by Eilderts with four and Worley with three.
- The crowd of 714 was Gallaudet's largest reported home attendance of the season.
UP NEXT
Gallaudet returns to Padden Court on Tuesday, Oct. 20, to host Penn St.-Berks (9-11, 4-3 United East) in a conference match at 7 p.m. The contest will serve as the Bison's Dig Pink Night.
