ELMIRA, N.Y. – Gallaudet University women's volleyball head coach
Lynn Ray Boren reached another milestone Saturday afternoon as he earned his 700th combined victory between Gallaudet and Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) when the Bison swept the host Soaring Eagles to complete a perfect opening weekend at the Elmira College Quad Match.
Gallaudet (3-0) defeated Elmira in straight sets, 25-20, 25-14, 25-15, after the Bison started the day with a thrilling five-set victory over Geneva College inside Speidel Gymnasium.
Boren, now in his 21st season at Gallaudet, has earned 467 victories with the Bison since taking over the program in 2005. He previously won 233 matches during seven seasons as the head coach at MSSD.
In a fitting coincidence, Boren's 600th combined victory also came against Elmira. Gallaudet swept the Soaring Eagles, 3-0, on Sept. 23, 2022, during the Worthington Classic in the Field House. Just under four years and 100 victories later, Boren reached another century milestone against the same opponent.
Senior outside hitter
Brielle Worley (Amarillo, Texas) led Gallaudet against Elmira with a match-high 18 kills and hit .310. Senior outside hitter
Jada Zarembka (Riverside, Calif.) posted a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs and added two solo blocks.
First-year setter
Gracie Gloster (Clark, N.J.) passed out 31 assists while first-year libero
Tori Harris (Stockbridge, Ga.) led the Bison with 11 digs and four service aces. Sophomore middle hitter
Kayla Debrow (Jacksonville, Fla.) recorded a match-high four solo blocks and hit .375 with four kills.
Gallaudet hit .232 for the match and held Elmira (0-4) to a .000 hitting percentage as the Soaring Eagles finished with 22 kills and 22 attack errors. The Bison held advantages in kills (37-22), service aces (11-6), assists (35-19) and digs (45-37).
First-year middle hitter Averleigh McFarlan led Elmira with nine kills and two service aces while junior libero Vicki Titus recorded a team-high nine digs and added two aces.
The victory marked Gallaudet's second straight win over Elmira, with both victories serving as milestone wins for Coach Boren.
Earlier in the day, the Bison needed five sets to get past Geneva, 22-25, 25-13, 21-25, 25-20, 15-13. Gallaudet twice bounced back after dropping a set before pulling out the decisive fifth frame.
The victory was Gallaudet's first over Geneva in three all-time meetings since 2009. The Golden Tornadoes won the previous two meetings by identical 3-1 scores in 2009 and 2010.
Worley turned in a dominant performance against Geneva with a match-high 29 kills and only three attack errors on 56 attempts for a .464 hitting percentage. She added 11 digs for a double-double.
Zarembka recorded her own double-double with 15 kills and 10 digs while Gloster passed out 37 assists and added eight digs. Harris anchored the back row with 20 digs to go with five assists and four service aces.
Graduate student middle hitter
Bri Eilderts (Omaha, Neb.) contributed three kills, three service aces, three assists and two solo blocks against Geneva.
Gallaudet hit .309 as a team against Geneva and finished with 54 kills compared to 39 for the Golden Tornadoes.
Senior middle hitter Katie Seboe paced Geneva (3-1) with nine kills and a .308 hitting percentage while freshman defensive specialist Vanessa Crider recorded a match-high 24 digs. Freshman setter Kyla Kephart added 17 assists and four service aces for the Golden Tornadoes.
The two victories Saturday, coupled with Friday night's straight-set win over New England College, send the Bison home from Elmira with a perfect 3-0 record to begin the 2026 season.
BISON TRACKS
- Coach Boren earned combined victories No. 600 and No. 700 against Elmira in 2022 and 2026, respectively.
- Worley finished the three-match weekend with 68 kills, an average of 22.7 kills per match.
- Worley recorded 20 or more kills in each of Gallaudet's first two matches this season and has now accomplished the feat 19 times during her Gallaudet career (2024-26).
- Zarembka finished the opening weekend with 34 kills and 28 digs, including double-doubles in both of Gallaudet's victories Saturday.
- Gloster totaled 68 assists in Saturday's two victories and finished her first collegiate weekend with 96 assists.
- Harris totaled 31 digs and eight service aces in Saturday's two matches.
UP NEXT
Gallaudet makes the short trip up Interstate 270 to Frederick, Md., on Wednesday, Sept. 9, to take on Hood College. The non-conference match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
