TRIBE 2, VCU 3
After recording a five-set victory against Virginia Commonwealth University earlier in the season, the Tribe (14-5, 4-2 CAA) found itself on the other side of the net this time around, falling to the Rams 3-2.
“We needed to block well and stay away from certain players, and tonight we didn’t,” Head Coach Melissa Shelton said.
The College opened a 5-0 lead behind junior Lindsey Pflugner’s powerful serve in the first set, before junior Bryana Carey’s four kills sparked an offensive run as the Tribe prevailed, 25-21.
The Rams then took their first lead of the game at 6-5 to start the second set before pulling away to win 25-16. However, the College quickly bounced back, winning the third set with a strong attack led by sophomore Erin Skipper.
The Tribe fell behind the Rams in a dramatic fourth set before senior Molly Bohman’s block evened the score at 7-7. After the team lost ground, sophomore Ginny Bray brought the Tribe to within striking distance at 20-22 following a strong kill to the corner. The College continued with three more points to take a 23-22 lead, but an attack error and bad set saw the Rams win 25-23.
“We didn’t capitalize on our opportunities in the fourth set, especially when it was 22-22, and we made a lot of mental errors out there,” Skipper said.
VCU closed out the match with an impressive fifth set led by its strong attack, posting a .150 attack percentage to the College’s -.087. The Rams also capitalized on the Tribe’s five errors to take the set 15-8.
“It was a team effort and everyone could have cut down on their mistakes,” Skipper said.