Coming off a loss against Delaware Friday, William and Mary (7-19, 3-12 CAA) headed to Harrisonburg, Virginia only to fall again to James Madison (17-7, 11-3 CAA) Nov. 10.
The Dukes started out strong, taking an early 6-2 lead in the first set. The Tribe battled back with a pair of kills by junior opposite hitter Kate Dedrick and junior middle blocker Julia Brown, blocks by Brown and sophomore outside hitter Lauren Merrill, and an ace by sophomore outside hitter Claire Farrell, to bring the score within one. The Dukes took control of the rest of the set, reaching set point up by nine. The Tribe tried to rally late with a 3-0 run, but Dukes outside hitter Briley Brind’Amour ended the College’s run with her sixth kill of the set, helping the Dukes take the first set 25-18.
The second set started out with the teams trading points back and forth. A kill by Merrill put the Tribe ahead, until a kill and an ace from Brind’Amour gave the Dukes the lead. However, the College dug in, and a pair of kills by Farrell putting the Tribe up by one. The Tribe followed Farrell’s kills with a quick 4-0 scoring run, jumping out to a 13-9 lead, causing JMU to call a timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Dukes took control of the set, going on a 10-2 run, putting themselves up by four and not looking back, winning the set 25-22.
In the final set of the match, the Dukes were absolutely dominant, jumping out to a quick 15-4 lead. The Tribe could not stop the Dukes’ momentum as they won the final set 25-7, winning the match in straight sets.
The Tribe will finish off their regular season on the road next Sunday, Nov. 17, as it takes on the top team in the Colonial Athletic Association, Towson.
