After starting the season off strong at the Georgetown Classic in which they won three of their four matches, the Georgetown women’s volleyball team was back in action at the Bulldog Invite in McDonough Arena. Despite the home court advantage, the Hoyas fell short in each of their three matches.

The Hoyas first faced Marshall in the Bulldog Invite opener. After dropping the first two sets, the Hoyas roared back, winning the next two and forcing a fifth set. In a thriller, Georgetown lost the fifth set 15-10 for the Hoyas’ second consecutive home loss.

The Hoyas found strong performances from both senior outside hitter Iva Vujosevic and freshman setter Emma Plutnicki, who each delivered double-doubles. Vujosevic recorded a match-high 22 kills, while Plutnicki led the way with 38 assists, demonstrating her prowess to the team in the best performance yet of her young Georgetown career.

In its next match, Georgetown took on Northern Kentucky, a strong team that entered the match with a 3-1 record following a successful 21-10 record, including wins in its first two matches of the Horizon conference tournament. Though the teams would split the first two sets, Northern Kentucky pulled away in the last two to win the match 3-1.

Sophomore Elissa Barbosa led the way for the Hoyas with career highs of 15 kills and 15 digs. In addition, sophomore Jessica Cusi contributed 15 kills, and Plutnicki earned her third double-double of the season with 17 assists and 10 digs.

In the finale of the Bulldog Invite, the Hoyas faced off against the Seawolves. Georgetown and Stony Brook traded wins for the first four sets, two of which were decided by a margin of two points. The fifth and final set would also be a nail-biter, and Stony Brook came away victorious with a 19-17 win, leaving Georgetown winless on the weekend.

Again, Barbosa recorded a double-double with career highs of 17 kills and 10 digs. Vujosevic and freshman Peyton Wilhite each added 14 kills. Both Barbosa and Cusi, based on strong and consistent play in the three matches, were named to the All-Tournament team.

The Hoyas are now 3-4 on the season, a definite disappointment having played each of the first seven games of the season at home, where the team can be expected to perform better. They have an opportunity to bounce back this weekend at the William & Mary Tournament in Williamsburg, Va., where they will face teams from Iona (0-6), UNC-Greensboro (5-1) and William & Mary (2-3) in which the team hopes to get back on track after a rough weekend at home. One sign of optimism for the Hoyas comes from recent history, with last season’s mid-September tournament serving as a springboard for the Hoyas, who then went on a six game winning streak on their way to a 17-13 record.