Despite putting up a good fight, the Tribe (7-9 overall, 2-1 CAA) fell 3-2 to Virginia Commonwealth University (4-11, 2-1), ending the College’s three-match winning streak Wednesday night.
“We lost because of our errors,” Head Coach Debbie Hill said. “We should have made fewer mistakes and been less timid on offense.”
p. The Tribe and the VCU Rams went head to head in the first game, playing within a point of each other until, due to the College’s miscommunication and a couple of bad touches, the Tribe fell behind. Though the squad bounced back and won several good volleys, their efforts fell short, as they lost, 30-28.
p. In the second game, the Tribe started off poorly, letting VCU’s 6’4” outside hitter Elisa Kuehel make several kills early. Despite this, the Tribe eventually pulled ahead with a 6-1 point streak. The College’s good placement on spikes and successful digs frustrated the VCU squad, and with the help of sophomore Lindsey Pflunger’s ace and good front line defense blocking, the Tribe was able to finish the game with a 30-22 victory.
p. The Tribe and VCU played point for point in the beginning of the third game, and the two squads continued to exchange the lead until late in the game. Tied 25-25, the teams stepped up the intensity of play, each blasting spikes over the net and digging deep to return them. Then a double touch sent the Rams ahead by a score of 29-25, and a kill sealed a 30-25 win for VCU.
p. Off to a strong start, the Tribe controlled game four with a score of 4-0, but the Rams fought back, chipping away at the College’s lead. Good blocking by the front line helped keep the Tribe ahead, and the squad played to a ten-point lead of 29-19. After the ball ricocheted off a VCU player out of bounds, the College won game four and tied the match 2-2.
p. Though the team played well, the Tribe could not secure a strong lead over VCU in the fifth game. Dominating the last half of the game, the Rams won 15-10.
p. “We realized after the first game we wanted to play like we know how,” junior Abbi Owens said of the loss. “We played well together tonight, but a win would have been nice.”
