As all seasons eventually do, the Shepherd University volleyball team’s fall season is coming to a swift conclusion. Their first season in the Mountain East Conference has been up and down to say the least, marred by inconsistent play and intermittent win streaks quickly followed by multiple losses. In the world of sports, a team is always striving to find consistency; the volleyball team is still looking to capture theirs with just two regular season matches left.
Last Tuesday, the Fighting Falcons of Fairmont State invaded the Butcher Center to take on the Rams. The Rams proved to be victorious on the night, winning 25–20, 25–23, 25–18. Kayla Walker had a great night for the Rams, recording 14 kills and 15 digs, while Anna Roper added 11 kills and seven digs. Taylor Belella added an amazing 38 assists on the evening, while junior Katie Beecher also had eight kills. Lauren Summa recorded 19 digs and Taylor Allen added 16 digs.
Friday night, the Rams came back down to earth, losing in straight sets to West Virginia Wesleyan 25–21, 25–23, 26–24. Melani Lewis and Anna Roper had seven kills each, while Kayla Motheral had eight. Junior Valerie Bour recorded nine digs on the night, while Belella added 31 assists. The match did not last very long, as Wesleyan really took it to the Rams on the evening.
Things did not get any better the following day. The team traveled to Shippensburg to take on the Red Raiders. Shepherd dropped the match in straight sets, 25–22, 25–21, 25–14. Lewis once again had a solid outing for the Rams, recording 10 kills to go along with eight digs. Belella notched 21 assists and six digs. Walker and Roper each added five kills on the day. Overall, it was a rough day for the Rams.
Shepherd has fallen back below .500 on the season to 13–14 on the year. However, the team still has a solid conference record, as they sit at 8–5 in the Mountain East. If they win their last two matches on the year, the Rams will have the opportunity to finish their inaugural Mountain East campaign in style.
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