Women's Volleyball beats Adelphi University

BY RACHEL GALATIS

The Women’s Volleyball team beat Adelphi University 3-2 at the Center for Recreation and Sports in Garden City, New York on Saturday, October 30.

The win, which was their sixth five-set victory, added to the team’s winning streak, bringing it up to four wins in a row. The team won 13 out of their last 14 matches and are 5-1 in five-setters this season.

Abby Remick, Shannon Burgess, Carly Russel, and Clare Feeman were all labeled as “game leaders” in the statistics report, which provided the team’s current stats in the Northeast-10 Conference. Remick landed the most “kills,” with 16 for the whole match.

Remick, a captain, said it has been a challenge learning how to navigate such a large team, but it has been rewarding seeing their hard work pay off in games.

“Volleyball is a highly team-oriented sport, so team chemistry is a huge factor to success on the court,” she said. “Being a leader has always come naturally to me and the other two captains and I have worked very hard on keeping the team motivated and engaged throughout the season, which is part of the reason we have been rolling this season.”

The team is made up of 25 members, three of which are captains. Remick works alongside Lauren Wilke, a senior, and Basia Peragine, a junior, to lead the team.

Wilke and Molly Turner, a junior, both came out on top with their number of sets, as Wilke finished with 30 assists and Turner with 22.

Although the Skyhawks won the overall match, the Panthers beat them in the initial set 25-17. The Skyhawks then took the victory in the second set 25-20, and the third set 25-13. The fourth set was another loss for the Skyhawks with a score of 21-25, but they came back to win the final set 18-16.

Wilke said that the team makes individual and team goals before the season starts so they have a better chance of achieving them as the season progresses.

“As a team, our goal is to be NE10 champs and get a bid to the NCAA tournament,” she said. “Individually I want to run a fast and diverse offense and put up good hittable balls for my hitters.”

And the team is on their way to achieve that goal, as the NCAA ranks Stonehill first in the eastern regional conference. They have an overall team record of 20-7.

Practice is held for two hours every day except Sundays, or if there is a match. Wilke said each practice is dedicated to various skills and reps so that when it comes to game day, everything is “muscle memory.”

The season began with practices on Aug. 16, and the first match was on Sept. 3 as a part of the “Shark Invitational,” a set of four matches held in Fort Lauderdale, Fl.

While there, the team stayed at the Courtyard Marriot and competed against Lynn University, Qunicy (III) University, Pittsburg State University, and Nova Southeastern University.

The team lost all four matches, but Wilke said that the tournament was a great learning experience and having the chance to get on a plane and travel with the team was a “once in a lifetime opportunity.”

“Once we got back into the gym, we really broke down all of our skills and re-evaluated why we love the sport of volleyball, which helped us start our 9-game winning streak after Florida,” she said.

Craig Martin, the head coach of the team, said that he has seen the team improve immensely since the season began.

“I do think the physical skills have improved, especially with the younger players, but the mental skills are where I see the most improvement among the team,” he said.

The team’s last match will be Saturday, Nov. 13, at Southern Connecticut State University.