Category: Volleyball

Emily Evancho

Assistant Sports Editor

The women’s volleyball team hasn’t left the court in the past two weeks, playing four matches and bringing home two victories against Loyola (Md.) on Oct. 11 and Howard on Oct. 15.

In the match against Loyola (Md.), the Bison easily pulled a 3-1 victory over the Greyhounds. Playing for the offense, Jordan Walker ’17 smacked down 10 kills while Rose Lewis ’14 aided with 19 assists. Katie Price ’16 added 15 digs for the defense. Karen Campbell ’16 performed especially well, providing the Orange and Blue with nine kills and a team-high of six blocks.

“I think ever since our win against Loyola we have had great team chemistry on the court and I see good things in our future,” captain Morgan Mientus ’14 said.

The chemistry was in no shortage on the court when the Bison took on Howard. Walker led the team again in kills, racking up 13, closely followed by Campbell with 11 kills and a match-high .429. Keane Brazda ’17 provided 19 assists and Mientus dug deep with 13 digs for the Orange and Blue while Erika Eastley ’17 posted a match-high of nine blocks throughout the match. The Bison efforts were more than enough to pull through with 3-2 victory over Howard.

The Orange and Blue brought their spirit to the court in both matches against Colgate but it failed to translate to the scoreboard. In the first match against Colgate on Oct. 18, Mientus, Kristen Titley ’14, and Jessica Serrato ’14 all pulled through with seven kills each.  Lewis also contributed with 14 assists while Eastley gave four blocks and three aces. Still, the Bison fell 3-0 against Colgate.

Although the team worked well together, the second match against Colgate ended in the same way. Titley and Walker both registered seven kills while Meghan Wentzel ’16 gave 10 assists and Lewis had seven digs. The Orange and Blue couldn’t keep the ball, dropping another 3-0 decision into Colgate’s lap.

“I think we lost a hard fought match to Colgate, they are a great team and I think we really surprised them,”  Mientus said. “Hopefully we bring the intensity we had against Colgate into all of our matches for the second round of Patriot League play. If we can do that I think we have a chance to upset some people and hopefully make it to the Patriot League tournament.”

The Bison will take the court against Army tonight at 7 and Holy Cross tomorrow at 5 p.m. Both matches will be played at Davis Gym.

Emily Evancho

Assistant Sports Editor 

Women’s volleyball take two losses

The women’s volleyball team tried to dig deep this past weekend but faltered with two 3-0 losses against Navy and American.

“Every week is a battle in the Patriot League, and unfortunately we haven’t come out on top the past few weeks,” Rose Lewis ’14 said. “But our play against American, one of the top teams in the league, really showed our potential, and we hope to set that as a foundation moving forward to our games in the coming week.”

In the first set against Navy on Sept. 27, both teams passed the lead back and forth until Navy snatched five continuous points in the middle of the set, taking the lead at 10-5. The Bison could not hold back the Navy flood for long, eventually allowing the set to sink into Navy’s hands.

The Orange and Blue fought hard in the second set despite the growing power of Navy’s hitting strength, resulting in a 25-17 defeat. In the third set, the Bison continued to push but couldn’t pull through with a lead, eventually falling 25-20.

The Bison returned to the court on Sept. 28 to combat American in three nail-biting sets. The lead continually bounced from side to side in the first set with neither team allowing the other more than a two-point advantage. Despite three consecutive kills from Morgan Mientus ’14, the Bison fell 25-22 in the first set.

Not deterred by the loss of the first set, Kristen Titley ’14 stole the first point of the second set and eventually pulled the Bison to a 3-1 lead after two American errors. American would not go down easily, as the Eagles pulled out a 25-17 final score in the second set.

The Bison were determined in the third set, not allowing a 9-0 American lead in the beginning get them down. Erika Eastley ’17 and Jordan Walker ’17 helped trim American’s lead to 23-21 at the end of the set, but an American kill and Bison error finalized the set.

Titley registered a team-high seven kills, while Lewis completed 12 assists during the match and a service ace. Meghan Wentzel ’16 added 10 assists while Karen Campbell ’16 and Eastley both made four blocks. Kristen Parks ’17 had a match-high 14 digs in the game.

“While the team is not content with this past weekend’s results, I am proud of us because we were able to put up a strong fight against American on Saturday after losing to Navy on Friday night,” Wentzel said. “We have our work cut out for us, but I truly believe that we can take what we have learned so far this season and get the results we want.”

The Bison will challenge Lehigh tomorrow at 5 p.m. at their home court and Lafayette on Oct. 6 in Easton, Pa.

Emily Evancho

Assistant Sports Editor 

The women’s volleyball team suffered a rough beginning in its first Patriot League volleyball matches, falling on the road to both Holy Cross and Army this past weekend with two 3-0 decisions.

“We had two tough matches this past weekend, but I think we played well, especially against Army, and I think now we just need to close out games,” Erika Eastley ’17 said. “I’m excited to see how that transfers to our matches this weekend.”

The Sept. 20 match against the Holy Cross Crusaders proved to be a problem more of endurance than of the Bison’s skill. The Orange and Blue easily established themselves early in each of the three sets, taking 10 points off the net without a problem. But at the end of each set the Bison ran out of steam, allowing the Crusaders to snap victory out of the Bison’s hooves.

Keane Brazda ’17 tallied a team-high 23 assists for the match. Other top players included Eastley and Jordan Walker ’17, who combined for 11 block assists, while Morgan Mientus ’14 recorded double figures in digs.

“We had a tough first weekend of Patriot League, and we really dropped the ball against Holy Cross,” Mientus said of the Holy Cross Match. “I think last weekend could be a blessing in disguise, and people may begin to underestimate us like we did Holy Cross. Being the underdog tends to be a positive thing in volleyball, so hopefully we can work extremely hard in practice this week and take Navy and American by surprise.”

The battle truly came on Sept. 21 in the Orange and Blue’s match against Army. The first set alone was finicky, pulling back and forth with six lead changes and 16 ties. With a 24-21 advantage late in the set, the victory seemed to be the Bison’s when Army snatched five points to take the lead. The second set was ultimately Army’s, but the Orange and Blue did not let the battle die. The third set was entirely the Bison’s until Army finally took the lead 21-20. The struggle ensued until Army was able to rip three points from the Orange and Blue, ending the match at 25-22.

“We didn’t start too well on Friday, but on Saturday, we played a great match against Army, and we’re really excited to play again this weekend to redeem ourselves,” Kristen Titley ’14 said. “Last weekend gave us a good idea of a few key things to work on this week in practice and we should be ready to go for Navy on Friday night.”

Confident and ready, the Bison will return to their home court to challenge Navy tonight at 7, and American tomorrow at 5 p.m.

Emily Evancho

Assistant Sports Editor 

The women’s volleyball team pulled through its matches this past weekend with a loss against Canisius and two victories over Fairleigh Dickinson and Rider, respectively. These were the first home court matches of the season for the Bison.

In the match against Fairleigh Dickinson on Sept. 13, the Orange and Blue entered the match with the intent to win, triumphing in their first set easily. Fairleigh Dickinson finally awakened, providing tough competition in the second and third sets. But ultimately the Bison dominated the court with six straight points in the fourth set, leading to a hard fought win in the fifth set. Katie Price ’16 achieved 21 digs during the match, while Morgan Mientus ’14 recorded 13 kills and 11 digs. Keane Brazda ’17 also pulled in 14 assists in three sets, bringing the match to a 3-2 win.

“We played really well as a team this weekend and it showed when we had to go to a fifth game with Fairleigh Dickinson which is a short game to 15 and takes everyone on the court and bench to step up and focus for 20 minutes,” Brazda said.

The Orange and Blue had an even tougher fight in the team’s first match on Sept. 14 against Canisius. The Bison secured the first two sets of the match but lost steam heading into the third set. The Bison ultimately dropped the match into lap of Canisius with a 3-2 loss.

The defeat did not hold back the momentum of the Orange and Blue in their second match of the day, when they pulled a 3-1 victory from the teeth of the Rider Broncs. The match was a tug of war in which the Bison captured the first two sets only to be beaten by Rider in the third. In the fourth set, the Orange and Blue came back determined, only trailing once to eventually claim victory after taking advantage of Rider’s three service errors during the match.

Mientus continued her solid performance, posting 12 kills against the Broncs and double-digit digs for both matches on the day, followed by Price who made 42 digs combined from both matches. Brazda also pushed the team with 59 assists in the two matches. Also for the Bison, Karen Campbell ’16 and Jordan Walker ’17 represented the Orange and Blue on the All-Tournament Team.

“Our hard work during pre-season is paying off,” Brazda said. “We plan to take this mentality into Patriot League play.”

The Orange and Blue return to the court tonight to challenge Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. Tomorrow, the team will travel to West Point, N.Y. to battle Army.

Emily Evancho

Assistant Sports Editor

The women’s volleyball team continued its strong start to the season this past weekend, defeating both Iona and Cornell in the Cornell Invitational while falling once to Buffalo.

“I’m so proud of my team for having a winning record at this point, but the loss to Buffalo shows we have some things to work on before entering Patriot League play,” Morgan Mientus ’14 said.

In their match against Iona, the Bison dominated with a 3-0 win. In the first set, the Bison rattled off seven consecutive points, giving the team a 1-0 lead in the match. The Orange and Blue began to trail in the second set, but they recovered with five consecutive points that led to a 26-24 win. The third set went much like the second, but the team pulled through to a 25-21 win. Mientus led the team with eight kills during the match, accompanied by her teammate Erika Eastley ’17, who also impressed with a match-best percentage of five kills out of the nine opportunities she had during the match.

“I’m really excited that we are starting the season off on such a good note. Our success in these past two weekends is a good indicator of the hard work we put in during preseason and I’m really excited to see what’s to happen later on in the season,” Eastley said.

The Bison did not have the same luck in their next match on Sept. 7 against Buffalo. Jessica Serrato ’14 and Eastley secured five kills each, but their efforts were not enough to stifle the Buffalo Bulls as they dropped all three sets.

“I think we are all proud of the way we handled ourselves coming back from the loss against Buffalo on Saturday. We didn’t dwell on our mistakes or let it set the tone for our last match,” Serrato said.

The 3-0 loss to Buffalo did not deter the team from pulling out a win in its match against Cornell later that day. Kristen Titley ’14 managed a season-high record of 17 kills in the match, along with Mientus who gained 11 kills. Eastley also helped the team’s efforts with nine registered blocks, aiding the Bison to a 3-2 win over Cornell.

“We played an awesome match on Friday and then Saturday morning we weren’t at our best, but we didn’t let it affect us and we bounced right back and played one of our best games of the season so far against Cornell,” Titley said.

The Bison will return to Davis Gym to host the Bucknell Invitational tonight and tomorrow. The Bison will play Rider at 7:30 p.m. Tomorrow, they will face Canisius at noon and Fairleigh Dickinson at 5 p.m.

Katherine Harris

Writer

The women’s volleyball team played strong but fell short of victory in its last matches of the season against Navy and American.

“I think as a whole we came out flat both nights, and sadly there was no energy or will to win. It was a disappointing end to the season, but it just was not our year,” Morgan Mientus ’14 said. “My individual performance was a letdown, and it was clear that both Navy and American planned to shut me down. I wish we could have won both games since it was our last weekend, but both teams were certainly more hungry for the wins and definitely deserved them.”

The Bison traveled to Annapolis, Md. on Nov. 9 to take on a Navy team fighting for a place in the postseason. The Orange and Blue lost the first set, but quickly battled back to go up 2-1 on the day. The comeback effort was not enough against Navy’s powerful offense, which fought back to eventually win 3-2.

Kat Tauscher ’13 finished with an impressive 28 assists and was backed up by Meghan Wentzel ’16 who recorded 20. Mientus and Kristen Titley ’14 both posted double-doubles, as Mientus had 14 kills and 11 digs, while Titley had 10 kills and 10 digs on the day. Leylin Marroquin ’14 also chipped in with 25 digs on defense, and Karen Campbell ’16 added two blocks.

“I was really happy with how we played Friday, we came out kind of slow but we really picked it up and gave Navy a tough match,” Titley said.

The Orange and Blue then traveled to American the next day for their last game of the season. It turned out to be a tough match, ending in a 3-0 loss for the Bison. Tauscher and Kebah Edoho ’13 both performed strongly in their last match for the Orange and Blue. Tauscher recorded a double-double with her 12 assists and 10 digs, while Edoho contributed five kills and three blocks. Campbell and Hannah Young ’14 also backed up Edoho with three blocks each, and Marroquin continued her strong weekend with 10 digs for the Bison.

“Saturday we started out slow again, but in the third set we really rallied and I was proud of the team for getting it together to give the seniors a good ending to their four years,” Titley said. “For me personally, I just really wanted to go out and give it my all and leave everything I had on the court since it was our last weekend of the season.”

Katherine Harris
Writer

The women’s volleyball team played their last home games of the season last weekend, first crushing Holy Cross in a decisive 3-0 victory before falling to a tough Army team.

The Bison came out for Senior Night on Nov. 2 against a Holy Cross team they had lost to earlier in the season, and quickly took care of business with a victory in three straight sets. Kebah Edoho ’13 and Kat Tauscher ’13 were honored that night, and both players stepped up with impressive performances, with Edoho racking up six blocks and a career-best 14 kills, while Tauscher pulled a double-double with 10 digs and 22 assists.

“Friday night was a great senior night for Kebah [Edoho] and I. We had a lot of fun playing in front of our family and friends and really appreciated all the love and support we received from our teammates and coaches,” Tauscher said. “It was a great overall team effort with no lulls or setbacks and it was icing on the cake that everyone, including Kebah and I, had such great games.”

Many other members of the team also stepped up for the Bison in the victory. Leylin Marroquin ’14 recorded 14 digs on the day, while Kristen Titley ’14 recorded eight kills. Karen Campbell ’16 also added two blocks to Edoho’s six, putting the Orange and Blue in the lead for team blocks.

The Bison struggled to keep up the momentum on Nov. 3 when they went up against Army team, losing in straight sets. The team was against bolstered by Tauscher and Meghan Wentzel ’16 who each recorded nine assists on the day. Campbell and Titley also played well, racking up eight and five kills, respectively.

“The difference between the two games was clearly the level of the competition as well as us as a team just not having a good night,” Tauscher said. “For some reason, on Saturday night we couldn’t put things together and nothing was going our way. With that said, it gives us something to work on this week and a chance for redemption this weekend at Navy and American.”

The Bison will finish out their regular season this weekend with two games on the road, travelling tonight to face Navy, and then facing off at American tomorrow afternoon.

Katherine Harris
Writer

The women’s volleyball team had a breakout performance at home last weekend, beating both Lehigh and Lafayette in five sets each to end its losing streak and earn its first two wins in Patriot League play.

“The team did an amazing job all across the board. Everybody that came on the court made a contribution, and we were definitely playing as a team this weekend. We were playing for each other,” Kebah Edoho ’13 said.

The Bison faced Lehigh on Oct. 19, trying to break their losing streak. The team started off strong, winning the first two sets of the match, before facing a Mountain Hawks comeback in the third and fourth sets. The Orange and Blue battled back in the final set to take the victory.

Morgan Mientus ’14 and Edoho both had impressive matches, with Mientus finishing with 11 digs, eight kills and four blocks, while Edoho had eight kills and seven blocks. Claire Healy ’16 played strong, grabbing a double-double of 15 kills and 14 digs, as well as four blocks. Her fellow teammates also led in many ways, with Meghan Wentzel ’16 having 21 assists and four service aces, Karen Campbell ’16 recording eight blocks and Katie Price ’16 posting a career-high 22 digs.

“I was really proud of my team this weekend. We finally pulled everything together and took control of the game. It felt great to play up to our potential and finally come away with a W instead of a moral victory. We also had a lot of girls step up,” Kat Tauscher ’13 said. “On Friday it was so much fun to play in front of so many fans. They were extremely loud and supportive and really helped us push through and win that fifth set.”

The Orange and Blue then went on to face Lafayette on Oct. 20. The team started slow, losing the first two sets. They stayed strong and fought back to win the match in five sets.

Mientus, Wentzel, Tauscher and Kristen Titley ’14 all had standout performances on the day, with all four recording double-doubles for the Bison. Leylin Marroquin ’14 also had her best match of the season, recording a season high of 16 digs on the day.

“This is the BUVB I know, and I am glad that we are finally starting to show it,” Edoho said.

The Orange and Blue will continue Patriot League play at home next week when they face Holy Cross on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. On Nov. 3 the Bison will have their final regular season home game, battling Army at 5 p.m. in Davis Gym.

Katherine Harris
Writer

The women’s volleyball team wrapped up its first round of Patriot League play last weekend, ending in losses to both American and Navy at home.

The Bison went up against a tough American team on Oct. 12. While they put up a strong fight in pushing the Eagles to four sets, the team ended with a loss for the night. Since the Orange and Blue have lost in straight sets in their last four meetings with American, they considered their performance to be a definite step in the right direction.

“This past weekend we came out really strong against American. We truly gave it our all but still weren’t able to come through with the W. We made American earn every point that they received on the scoreboard,” Claire Healy ’16 said.

Many individuals performed strongly for the Bison in the match. Morgan Mientus ’14 recorded her first double-double of the season with 15 digs and 13 kills, while Karen Campbell ’16 racked up 10 kills and four blocks. Healy recorded 11 kills, Meghan Wentzel ’16 totaled 28 assists and Katie Price ’16 brought in a career-high 20 digs on the night.

The Orange and Blue then hosted Navy on Oct. 13. The team struggled to bring the same intensity as the previous night and lost in three straight sets to the Midshipmen.

“We just have this issue where not everyone is ‘on’ on the same night. Some of us will be playing so well one game and then struggle the next,” Mientus said.

Mientus racked up nine kills and six digs on the day, while Healy gained her fourth double-double of the season, recording 13 kills and 11 digs. Wentzel also once again led the Bison in assists for the match, this time bringing in 13 for the team.

The Bison will begin their second round of Patriot League play tonight at 7 p.m. as they host Lehigh. Though they lost 3-1 in their first meeting with the Mountain Hawks, the team is confident that this could be the game to break their losing streak.

“We definitely need some consistency and hopefully the juniors and sophomores can step into the starting line up a bit more and use our experience to provide more consistency,” Mientus said. “Going into the second half of Patriot League play, I hope we can redeem ourselves and show the teams that we are indeed a force to be reckoned with!”

Katherine Harris
Writer

The women’s volleyball team had a tough weekend, dropping matches to both Army and Holy Cross on Sept. 28 and 29, respectively.

“This weekend started off great. We really put up a fight against Army and in the second set against them we had them against the ropes,” Morgan Mientus ’14 said. “We could’ve taken the set, but overall our performance against them was strong.”

The Bison started out strong at West Point, but ended up losing in three sets to a talented Army squad that is 3-1 in conference play. Many individuals stepped up in the match, including Mientus and Leylin Marroquin ’14 on defense with 12 and 10 digs, respectively.

On offense, senior captains Kebah Edoho ’13 and Kat Tauscher ’13 led the way, with Edoho putting up nine kills and two blocks, and Tauscher posting an impressive 30 assists. Claire Healy ’16 and Jessica Serrato ’14 also had strong contributions, with Healy adding two blocks and seven kills and Serrato adding eight kills.

“While there were definitely glimpses of us showing a lot of heart and improvement, we were overall frustrated by our performance. But our captains, Kat [Tauscher] and Kebah [Edoho], have done an amazing job this week with keeping us motivated and playing for each other, something we’ve lost touch of recently,” Katie Price ’16 said.

The Orange and Blue then made their way to Worcester, Mass. on Saturday afternoon to face Holy Cross. While the team rallied to win the third set, they were not able to defeat the Crusaders in the final, losing 3-1 overall. Tauscher stepped up again, this time recording a double-double with a season-high 41 assists, as well as 10 digs.

First-year teammates also performed strongly on the day. Healy led the Orange and Blue in kills and digs, with 14 and 18, respectively, to post her third double-double of the season. Price also posted a career high 15 digs on the day.

“Our main goal is to win a Patriot League Championship, and in preparation for the rest of the season, we are reassessing why we play the game and why we love it so much,” Mientus said. “From now on we are playing for our amazing seniors and leaving it all on the court like we have nothing to lose.”

This weekend, the Bison will travel to California to take on CSU Bakersfield on Oct. 7, and then face off against Pepperdine on Oct. 8 in Malibu, Calif.