Author Jim George was quoted as saying, “It's not how you start that's important, but how you finish!” This weekend, the Red took this message to heart at the UAlbany Invitational. Over the course of Friday evening and Saturday morning, the Red took on the University of Albany, Syracuse University and Canisius University to open the season with a mixed record.
“This team is incredibly resilient. Even with a few early-season injuries, every player shows up with the same energy and commitment,” said freshman setter Mikayla Gray. “Despite this past weekend’s unexpected outcome, we aren’t letting it stop us from pursuing the goals we have set for this season. It has only fueled our drive, and we’re bringing that same intensity to every match from here on out.”
The Red faced the University of Albany and was defeated in four sets on Friday evening.
The first set saw both squads get off to a blazing start, going blow for blow. After tying up the score at seven, a kill by opposite hitter Kendall Harris started an avalanche for the Great Danes. Though the Red fought hard to only trail 20-22 near the end of the set, a kill by setter Maria Olga Siapani awarded the Great Danes with their 25th point and a 1-0 match lead.
In the second set, the Red started fervently to lead 8-3. After a couple of errors by both squads, the Red rattled off five straight points to take a 14-5 lead. The Great Danes made a late rally, but the Red ultimately took the set, 25-19, on a kill by senior outside hitter Jaida Sione to tie the match at 1-1.
The third set was another blow-for-blow outing, with neither team holding a lead greater than four points until halfway through. With the Red trailing 12-14, a combination of errors by the squad and great execution by their opponents saw a two-point deficit balloon to six points, effectively putting the game out of reach. The Red would go on to lose the set 20-25, and trail in the overall match, 1-2.
In the final set, the Red fought diligently, but couldn’t battle back to take the match.
With the Red and Great Danes knotted up at 22 apiece, a kill by sophomore middle blocker Mackenzie Parsons gave the Red a 23-22 lead and hope that they could force a fifth set. Unfortunately, the Great Danes rattled off three straight points, capped off with a kill by outside hitter Shynelle Woroniuk, to steal the set and win the match, 3-1.
The next day, the Red took on the Orange for the second match of the Invitational.
In the first set, the Red established an early force, leading by at least two points for nearly all 25 points. Aided by a service error, the Red won the set 25-18.
In the second set, with the Red leading 19-17, Syracuse’s setter Veronica Sierzant delivered three straight assists to different hitters to give the Orange a 20-19 lead. Back-to-back errors by the Red increased the deficit to 19-22, and it seemed as though the Red lost their fire.
Instead, the Red came back to tie the set at 22 all. After multiple back-and-forth rallies, a kill by senior outside/opposite hitter Nicole Mallus and an emphatic duet block by junior middle blocker Ava Bogan and sophomore outsider hitter Haley Clark allowed the Red take the set 27-25.
Following the second set, the Orange had an extra long talk to regroup. Syracuse emerged from their team meeting with renewed energy.
In the third set, the Orange overwhelmed the Red with their speed on offense and their resilience on defense, winning by a score of 25-15. In the fourth set, it was the same story. The Orange took care of the set with relative ease, winning 25-17 after a final kill by opposite hitter Skylar George.
The fifth set, which only went to 15 points, was an absolute thriller, though the Red couldn’t find a way to pull out the win.
The Orange went on an early seven point scoring run to establish a 9-3 lead. During this run, almost every member of the lineup got involved, displaying their diverse array of offensive players. Though the Red fought valiantly to make the set close, they ultimately fell, 11-15, on a service error, and lost the overall match 2-3.
A couple of hours later, the Red took on the Griffins in the final match of the weekend. After a disappointing end to their previous match, the Red were determined to unleash their frustration on their last opponent.
In the first set, the Red got out to a 19-7 lead, with notable contributions from freshman setter Mary Wolcott and Parsons. Though the Griffins made a late rally, a final kill by Parsons, courtesy of a well-placed set from Wolcott, gave the Red a 25-12 victory.
In the second set, the Griffins kept it close for the first half, only trailing by three points. With the score at 18-15 in favor of the Red, senior setter Doga Ozalp delivered three straight incredible sets to senior outside/opposite hitter Meghan Gaffigan, Parsons and Clark to extend the lead to 21-15.
Unfortunately, as the set continued, seven straight points by the Griffins knotted the game up at 22 apiece. In the back-and-forth rally, the Griffins took the win, 27-25, on a kill by outside hitter Perry Stevenson.
Tied at 1-1 for the match, the Red unlocked a different gear, dominating the second half of the third set to win 25-19. A kill by Mallus gave the Red the go-ahead lead at 17-16, and they never looked back.
In the final set of the match, the Red utilized a massive run to defeat the Griffins by a score of 25-14.
Though this weekend was a roller coaster of results, the Red finished off stronger than they started.
“Even after just one week of matches, I’ve seen how much we push each other and how badly we want to see one another succeed, which only contributes to our team chemistry and culture,” Gray said.
