Katherine Harris
Writer
The women’s volleyball team improved their record this weekend with a strong 2-1 showing at the Duquesne/Robert Morris Invitational with Jessica Serrato ’14 and Karen Campbell ’16 both having performances that placed them on the All-Tournament Team.
The Orange and Blue started off their tournament play on Aug. 31 as they matched up with Robert Morris, coming out with a 3-1 win. Serrato recorded 17 kills, while Kebah Edoho ’13 and Claire Healy ’16 each ended with eight. Morgan Mientus ’14 kept up her solid play this season with 21 digs, while Campbell and Edoho had 10 and six blocks, respectively.
“The first night we played, we were on fire. Everything was clicking. Our energy and focus was in the right direction. We were playing like the confident volleyball team that I know we can be. We were able to feed off the opposing crowd’s momentum and use it to our advantage,” Healy said.
Though struggling early, the Bison continued to have success on Sept. 1 as they played Loyola (Md.), coming back from a loss in the first set to win the match 3-1. Kellye Zobrist ’14 dominated the third set with a career-high five aces and bolstered the team’s offense on several other occasions with her well-placed serves. Meghan Wentzel ’16 racked up 33 assists, Campbell recorded nine kills and Healy received her first college double-double with 13 kills and 10 digs. Upperclassmen play rounded out the win for the Bison as Serrato had 12 kills and Edoho recorded nine.
To wrap up the weekend, the Orange and Blue suffered a tough loss to Duquesne. Key players still performed strongly in the loss, with Serrato registering a double-double with 17 digs and 13 kills. Healy and Campbell both followed her lead, racking up seven kills each. Mientus also shone defensively, recording 15 digs in the match to round out her tournament.
“Every week our team is improving, and that was evident in our play this weekend. While we would have preferred to leave 3-0, we were pleased with our performance and our match against Duquesne certainly revealed areas in which we can improve,” Serrato said. “I was honored to be named to the All-Tournament Team, but I know I have a lot more room for improvement as we move forward. As a team, we need to remember to start strong in every match and maintain positive energy on the court, no matter who the opponent.”
The Bison will continue their tournament circuit for two more weeks before beginning Patriot League play, traveling to the Rose Hill Classic at Fordham University this weekend.