Georgetown (12-13, 5-7 Big East) had another tough weekend on the road, dropping matches to UConn (19-7, 8-3) and St. John’s (20-7, 11-1). “Earlier we loved the Big East,” Head Coach Arlisa Williams said, “but playing four of the top teams on road in back-to-back weekends is really tough.”
The Hoyas started off game one against the Huskies with a 3-1 lead against the Huskies. The Huskies’ response, however, showed why they are at the top of the conference – the team won 10 straight points to make the score 11-3.
Georgetown was finally able to get the side out and win two service points, but could not mount a comeback. UConn responded with a six-point run, which essentially clinched the first set for the Huskies. “We came out early and were really aggressive,” Williams said of the opening, but added that in players’ attempts to hit around blocks, too many costly errors were committed.
Georgetown appeared more comfortable in the start of the second set. However, with the score tied at 6-6, the Huskies overpowered again. They went on a 7-0 run to take the lead and guarded it well, comfortably securing the two-set lead.
UConn took control early in the third set and never wavered, going on to end the match with a 25-20 final-set win. “We played well in the third set, even though the hitting percentage was low,” Williams said.
When asked about the Hoyas’ buildup of service errors – seven for the match – Williams said, “UConn has a nice volleyball facility – but with a good air current,” explaining that many balls sailed long because the facility’s air quality was new to the Hoyas. She also noted that the Hoyas felt they needed to serve deep, and in that pursuit, some errors were to be expected.
Georgetown knew it faced stiff competition at top-ranked St. John’s. Additionally, Sunday was St. John’s Senior Day, and with five seniors central to the team’s success, the team was sure to play spirited ball. The Red Storm did not disappoint, winning in straight sets, but the Hoyas were not completely dominated as the 25-17, 25-20, 25-13 score line may suggest. “If we came out at the beginning and played as we did at the end of the game, the turnout could have been different,” Williams said.
The Hoyas and the Red Storm were tied early on in the first set. However, at 11-10, St. John’s took six straight points to go ahead by seven, and maintained its lead from there. “They have a very international flavor to the way they play,” Williams said of St. John’s.
For a team that generates such a strong offense, St. John’s is not tall. Its tallest player is six feet tall – not too big for a volleyball player. Williams explained St. John’s offensive success, saying “[its] players have the fastest arm-swings across the board out of all the teams we’ve seen.”
Senior middle blocker Kit Neisen had four kills early in the second set to help Georgetown jump out to a 9-5 lead. The Hoyas’ steady play continued, giving them a 14-8 advantage. However, the Red Storm was resilient, and took six consecutive points to tie the score at 16. The Hoyas got the crucial side out to put a stop to the run, but were unable to go on one of their own. The teams exchanged points until, with the score 20-20, the Red Storm captured five straight points to end the set.
St. John’s momentum was unstoppable. The Red Storm took an early lead in the third set, and with the finish line in sight, pulled away to win the set 25-13.
Senior setter Caitlin Boland had a double-double, ending the match with 29 assists and 10 digs. Junior outside hitter Jessica Hardy led the Georgetown offense in kills with nine, followed by freshman outside hitter Sara Manley and sophomore outside blocker Vanessa Dorismond, with eight and seven respectively. Impressively, in 22 attempts, Hardy had only one error, for a .364 hitting percentage.
“They have three extremely talented options who are very difficult to stop,” Williams said of the Red Storm offense. St. John’s depth and versatility comes through in numbers. Of the team’s five players with more than 10 hits in the match, four posted hitting percentages well above .300. The five combined for 41 kills and only seven errors.
Another statistic key to the Red Storm’s success is its side-out percentages – the amount of points they win off their opponent’s serve. St. John’s side-out numbers were 70 percent, 71 percent and 92 percent over the three sets, compared with 47 percent, 58 percent and 47 percent for Georgetown.
Georgetown has a make-or-break weekend in front of it, with decisive matches against Big East foes Villanova (14-14, 5-7) on Friday at 8 p.m. and Seton Hall (14-13, 6-6) on Sunday at 2 p.m. Both matches will be played in McDonough Gymnasium and all three teams will be vying for spots in the conference tournament.
“We will all be fighting for our lives,” Williams said “Emotions will be running high.”
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