By Ed Morrone
As has been the case this season, the Pride volleyball team bounced back smoothly after a difficult loss. After opening Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play on Sept. 29 with a 3-0 loss to the University of Delaware, the Pride bounced back and won its next seven conference matches.
On Friday, the Tribe of the College of William & Mary upended the Pride in four games. Predictably, it followed the loss with a 3-0 sweep over the Seahawks of North Carolina-Wilmington University, 30-18, 30-14, 30-28.
The win upped the Pride’s overall record to 17-7 and 8-2 in the CAA, as it remained in second place behind Towson. Senior Nicole Smith led the way with 11 kills, four solo blocks, and a .611 hitting percentage and sophomore Elizabeth Curley (13 kills, 6 digs, 2 service aces) and freshman Talita Silva (11 kills, 9 digs, 2 blocks) also contributed in the victory.
“William & Mary was a tough match for us,” Smith said. “It was important for us [to bounce back] because it put us in a really good place in the conference at the moment. We had a rough week-we had some injuries and some illnesses that made us explore the depth of our team and I think we really did that.”
The Pride utilized its depth, as only seven players took part in the match against the Seahawks. Tessa Sphar, the team leader in kills, missed both matches this weekend, forcing head coach Fran Kalafer to go to her bench and give Silva and sophomore Dana Schaefer extended minutes on the court.
As has been the case this season, the rest of the team picked up the slack and stepped up when it counted.
“When this team needs something done, these players do it,” Kalafer said. “Not every team has that ability. It’s a very special group, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to win.”
Said Smith: “We have a lot of really great leaders on this team. If someone is hurt or having a rough day then the rest of us are there to back them up. We’re playing for each other.”
With just four regular season matches left, the Pride is all but a lock to clinch a spot in the CAA Tournament. Winning the tournament has been a goal for the team all season since losing in the finals to George Mason last year. The loss left the Pride one victory shy of the NCAA Tournament, a drought that started in 2000.
Even though the postseason is on the horizon, the Pride cannot afford to rest on its laurels. The Pride has four difficult matches left, the toughest being the season finale at Towson. The Tigers are hungry for revenge, as the Pride gave them their only conference loss of the season on Oct. 15.
The game against Towson will be crucial, because both teams are vying for the number one seed in the CAA tournament. The team that gets the top seed hosts the tournament at its home gym, and both the Pride and the Tigers are undefeated at home this season.
“We want to host the finals here,” Smith said. “We love to play at home. We want to win the tournament and go deep into the NCAA Tournament. That’s the team goal, and I’m really excited about it.”
As for the Seahawks, the season can’t end fast enough. The loss dropped them to 0-11 in the CAA and 2-19 overall, and they’ve dropped 17 consecutive matches since Sept. 4. Kate Bennett tallied 13 kills and 10 digs while Lacey White added 28 assists and eight digs in the losing effort.
For the Pride, the NCAA tournament is the goal.
“This is such a special team,” Smith said. “We play so well together and we have very good chemistry. There’s a desire to win that everyone on the team has and we never quit.”