Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown Goes 1-2 In Arizona

Georgetown Goes 1-2 In Arizona

By Victor Calderon Special to The Hoya

This past weekend, the Georgetown women’s volleyball team headed out West to the Fiesta Bowl Tournament in Arizona with a 3-1 record. The only loss was to the nation’s No. 4 team, Long Beach State. During its two-day trip out in Flagstaff, Georgetown posted a 1-2 record at the tournament.

The play of senior outside hitter Kiran Gill continued to be as hot as the Arizona sun, as she nabbed all-tournament team honors for the second consecutive tournament. Gill was named most valuable player of the Jefferson Cup at Virginia last week. She continued to lead the team on the court, further proving her worth to the squad.

The first match of the tournament against Arkansas-Little Rock was not a pretty sight, as both teams struggled offensively. The Trojans hit .197 during the game, while Georgetown hit only .178. The serving and blocking made the game interesting as both teams combined for 17 service aces and 23 team blocks.

Leading the Hoyas in kills were Gill with 15, sophomore outside hitter Lauren Warner with 14 and junior outside hitter Yulia Vtyurina with 13. Senior middle blocker Kaili Stevens tied a tournament record with seven block assists and freshman setter Jennifer Ward had a tournament high 50 assists. In the end, however, Arkansas-Little Rock won three games to one.

Georgetown came back the next day against a fired-up Murray State squad. Gill and the Hoyas quickly squashed any chance for the Racers, recording 10 aces and holding them to an anemic .134 hitting percentage. Gill had 13 kills and seven digs, hitting .387, while Warner and senior middle blocker Meg Troller contributed nine kills each. Georgetown swept the Racers in three games.

The Hoyas’ last opponent of the tournament was host Northern Arizona. Gill, Warner and Troller led in kills with 15, eight and seven, respectively. Troller also chipped in with a match-high hitting percentage of .462. In the end, Northern Arizona proved too tough, winning all three games against Georgetown.

With the volleyball team now standing at 4-3 on the season, Head Coach Li Liu still notices some issues that need to be addressed before league play begins. “The team needs to be more aggressive [on the court],” Liu said. “All the players are working hard, but we are not playing up to the level where we know we can be.”

The development of the three freshmen players on the team – Ward, outside hitter Molly Healy and middle blocker Laura Hart – has played important role on the Hoya squad. Ward has had to step up as the team’s only setter after junior Amy Schweitzer suffered an early injury. This has without a doubt been difficult and challenging for Ward but she is ready to face the tough work ahead.

“It’s in my nature to confront challenges head on,” Ward said.

Liu says that Healy, while being bothered by a nagging injury, “has helped the team with her consistent passing” and that Hart “has been there when we needed her.”

Ward is enjoying the experience and says that she felt accepted by her teammates right away. “I have had an easy transition and I know it will only get better [as the season goes along],” Ward said. “This is a great group of girls to work with.”

The schedule ahead will again be a competitive one for Georgetown. The Hoyas’ next home game is today against Maryland, “a game we should win,” adds Liu. After that, the team returns to the West Coast for a tournament at the University of San Diego. League play begins later this month, and Ward is confident the Hoyas “will rise to the competition. We have an awesome team this year.”

Related Links

 Volleyball Schedule

 Volleyball Roster

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