A lot of words could be used to describe Georgetown volleyball’s 2011 campaign, which saw the team finish 14-13, including a 6-8 mark in the Big East. “Inconsistent” may be one of them, but so might “gutsy” or “determined.” Although the team fell just short of its goal of reaching the Big East tournament, Head Coach Arlisa Williams was pleased with her team’s performance.

“We played inconsistently early on but really figured out how to play high-level volleyball early in conference play,” she said. “The foundation has been laid and we will only move forward.”

The Hoyas began the year well, sporting an 8-5 record going into Big East play. The nonconference schedule was highlighted by a straight-set win against Virginia Commonwealth and a victory at James Madison’s Coca-Cola Classic that included wins over Appalachian State, James Madison and Eastern Tennessee State.

However, conference play proved much more difficult for the Hoyas. The Blue and Gray lost their first three league matches but righted the ship in October, when they found the spark that allowed them to reach their potential.

Georgetown went 6-2 in October and closed out the month with a home sweep of Connecticut and St. John’s, followed by a road sweep of Rutgers and Seton Hall.

“Winning in October was a goal that we talked about from the beginning of the season,” Williams said. “The team was focused and took each day as it came.”

Thanks to their stellar October, the Hoyas were seventh in the Big East with a 6-5 conference record going into their final three matches. Unfortunately, the Blue and Gray dropped a crucial game to South Florida on the road and were unable to upset conference powerhouses Louisville and Cincinnati in the final weekend of play. The losses dropped the Hoyas to 10th in the league standings, two spots out of the tournament.

It was a disappointing end to the season that marked the end of an era for Georgetown volleyball. The senior core of the team, libero Tory Rezin and setter Ashley Malone, will graduate this spring, and their presence will surely be missed.

Both players were three-year starters and were crucial in every match for the Hoyas this season. Rezin was a rock on defense and racked up double-digit digs in almost every match; Malone not only effectively set up her teammates all year but also notched a significant number of kills and digs.

Malone ends her career second in program history in assists, while two-year Rezin goes out as Georgetown’s all-time leader in digs.

“My [career] as a whole has been very positive for me. Playing with this team has been all-around great,” Rezin said. “It was competitive, fun and intense, and I met a ton of amazing people that I will continue to be friends with for many years.”

While the Hoyas will certainly miss their senior leaders next year, they will return all five of their main hitters. Unlike some other teams, Georgetown had a very widespread distribution of kills this year. Sophomore outside hitter Brooke Bachesta, junior middle blocker Lindsay Wise and redshirt sophomore middle blocker Annalee Abell each notched over 150 kills.

The Blue and Gary also had four very talented freshmen this year, from whom the team expects great things in the future. The group was headlined by outside hitter Alex Johnson, who led the team with 307 kills, and middle blocker Dani White, who posted a very impressive .304 hitting percentage.

“I am really proud of this group. They worked hard and overcame so many obstacles,” Williams said. “It was a really fun year for all of us.”