Friday, November 18, 2011

The Dukes upset the seniors’ final game at Tom Gola

After breaking their nine-game losing streak with a sweep of Coppin State, the women’s volleyball team welcomed the Dayton Flyers to Tom Gola Arena. The Flyers currently stood on top of the Atlantic 10 standings, while La Salle ranked last.
At the an unusual game time of 11 a.m. on Friday, this David vs. Goliath matchup started with the Flyers jumping out to commanding 11-1 lead. With this momentum, Dayton coasted to a 25-11 set victory.
With hopes to upset the No.1 seed in the conference, the Blue and Gold battled close with the Flyers in the beginning of the second set. After a kill from junior Samantha Tulskie, La Salle fought to trim the deficit to make the score even. This plan was unsuccessful as Dayton used a 7-2 run to close out the set in a 25-15 victory.
Undeterred by a 12-10 score in the third set, the Flyers proved they were too talented for the home team en route to their 25-17 victory.
Despite suffering a leg injury, senior Kourtney Clark pulled in 17 assists while Tulskie recorded a team-high 10 kills.
Entering into their final game of the season, the Explorers hosted the Duquesne Dukes. This game would also be the final home stand for senior group of Alexis Little, Alex Kennedy, Jacquelyn Mitrovich and Kourtney Clark.
Unfortunately for La Salle, the Dukes would spoil their senior honoring with a three game sweep (25-12, 25-18, 25-14).
In their final game for the Blue and Gold, Kennedy finished with four kills and one service ace while Mitrovich posted five kills and two blocks and Little added a kill and a dig.
The Explorers conclude their 2011 season with a 6-27 record. Though their record may not epitomize it, La Salle has made significant gains from last year. During a season in which the Explorers tied their most wins since 2008, there are still some positive notes to highlight from this season.
Faced with a surplus of injuries, the Explorers had many games this year with a small number of subs and still managed to push teams down to tiebreaking sets. The win column may not indicate it, but this strong unit has strengthened their talent and depth. Due to many role players stepping up this year, the women’s volleyball team will strive to have an even better season next year with the goal of gaining a berth into the A-10s.

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