The Lady Hoyas (3-8) were in high spirits after their Sunday night victory against Iona in the annual Georgetown Classic. Though they lost their first two matches against Northwestern and Towson, the Hoyas recovered to defeat Iona in a 3-1 match.
“Our players enjoyed the taste of success they experienced on Saturday against Iona and were hungry for more wins,” Head Coach Arlisa Hagan Williams said in an email.
Tuesday night they got more of what they wanted, defeating the Morgan State Bears, 3-1, in Baltimore, Md.
Though the squad trailed most of the first game, they pulled out a rally to make a comeback and win game one, 32-30. Outside hitters sophomore Dana Dumas and Junior Jessica Hardy led the Hoyas, with two kills each in the last ten points of the first game.
The quick scoring offense the Ladies mustered in the final part of game one did not carry through to game two. The Bears showed their teeth and took the game 30-21.
Georgetown’s performance improved in game three. Despite floundering early on, three consecutive blocks by sophomores Courtney Cohen and Kiersten McKoy helped Georgetown take the lead. Hardy and Dumas strengthened the margin, each contributing a kill. Morgan State attempted a come back, but a serving error sealed the deal. The Hoyas won 30-27.
Georgetown’s hitting in the fourth game clinched the final victory for the Hoyas 30-23 over Morgan State. The team had 18 kills in the final game, improving their hitting average to 0.412.
Caitlin Boland had 44 assists and 11 digs, while Dumas put up 11 kills and 12 digs.
Coach Williams hopes the team will use these victories as a turning point in the season.
“Momentum is the key to winning a game, a match, a tournament and having a successful season,” said Williams. “If we don’t keep the momentum going, it’s going to be a long, unhappy season.”
Williams has already identified the team’s biggest potential problems.
“In addition to our youth, our small numbers could hinder us. Our lack of depth creates a lot of pressure for our players because none of them get a break,” Williams wrote.
Coach Williams attributes her team’s recent successes to leadership from juniors Caitlin Boland and Kit Niesen and talented players like Dana Dumas, the only Georgetown player to be named to the Georgetown Classic’s all-tournament team.
On Friday the Lady Hoyas will travel to Rock Hill, South Carolina to participate in the Wingate Invitational. Their first match is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. against Troy State University.
