The Lady Bruins club volleyball team defeated the Johnson and Wales Wildcats in the first exhibition of the spring, winning four sets to one.
Both teams came out strong in the first set. The Bruins had a high level of energy and excitement, but the Wildcats started off with the first serve and took the first couple of points of the set.
The Bruins shut the Wildcats down with multiple blocks and double blocks by both Katelyn MacDowell and Marjorie Elliott.
The Bruins had a small run, but with the score 8–4, the Wildcats found their hitting groove. With a series of strong hits to the back corners, the Wildcats tied the game 8–8. The teams volleyed throughout the rest of the set, but the Bruins had the final run to take the first set 25–19.
The Bruins had a rough second set. Although they started with the first serve, the Wildcats scored the first 10 points, scoring mostly off Bruins’ service errors and bad hits.
The Wildcats easily won the second set 25–10.
The Bruins found their groove again right at the beginning of the third set. They won the serve and scored the first four points. The score was 16–10 when the Bruins started a scoring run, eventually taking the third set 25–11.
The Wildcats led over half of the fourth set, but the Bruins stayed close behind and fought to take the lead. Dani Payne and Kendra Jeffcott double blocked a Wildcats’ hit, and Jeffcott followed with a strong hit to tie the set 19–19.
The teams scrambled to score, but the Bruins eventually won the set 26–24 and the match in four sets, giving the Bruins club team its first victory.
Elisabeth Ennis, the assistant coach for the volleyball team, said, “They did very well for their first game, but we do have some things to work on.” Ennis later said court awareness, consistent serving and limiting mistakes are some areas the team needs to work on.
The teams played the fifth set to get more playing time, and the Bruins took that set as well, 15–13.
Despite being an exhibition game, it was a great first win for the new program.
The club team is not an intercollegiate team yet, but the athletic department plans to make the team official in the fall.