At this point in the season, the volleyball team has been looking to find any means necessary to turn the season around and earn a bid into the post season.
Within the last week, they have found a way to do just that. They are currently riding a three game winning streak amid a week that was shortened due to the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy. The Rams aimed to continue their recent success with victories against WVIAC rivals West Virginia Wesleyan and Glenville State.
Last week, the Rams ended their weekly slate of games with a 3-0 match victory over West Liberty University. Since then, that game has been proven to be a key in the Rams’ success on the court this week. Senior Kasey Mercier’s postgame comments have proven to resonate with her teammates, shown by the results of this week’s match-ups.
With the events surrounding the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, which hit a majority of the northern east coast of the United States, the Rams’ match-up against Wilmington in Delaware was canceled. The team was then scheduled to face conference foe West Virginia Wesleyan on Friday, Nov. 2.
Having success, the Rams knocked off the Bobcats in a 3-1 decision (20-25, 25-29, 25-12, and 25-20). Kasey Mercier led the Rams with 18 kills to go along with a .400 attack percentage as well as nine digs. Junior Melani Lewis recorded 14 kills to add to Mercier’s team-leading 18.
Other Rams who boosted the stat sheet for the victory were seniors Lauren Gardner and Sara Michael, along with junior Meg Kenny. Gardner provided 14 digs with three aces, while Michael provided 46 assists and 12 digs. Kenny had eight kills and five blocks.
This match improved the Rams’ record, putting them at 8-16 on the year overall and 4-7 in conference play. They looked to carry this momentum into their match-up against Glenville State at noon on Saturday, Nov. 3.
The team didn’t let up going into the game with the Pioneers. Playing with determination, the Rams shut out their WVIAC rival in the match, 3-0 (25-9, 25-21, and 25-21). Kenny led the Rams with seven kills, while Mercier and sophomore Katie Motheral had six kills apiece.
In addition to her six kills, Mercier had five aces and five digs. Sara Michael contributed to the effort with 20 assists, making for a total of 66 in the last two matches. This was a much-needed win for the Rams, who improved to 9-16 overall on the season and a 5-7 record in conference play.
The team has two regular season home match-ups remaining against Davis and Elkins on Nov. 9at 7 p.m., and Alderson-Broaddus on Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. If they are to have a chance at making the WVIAC Conference tournament, which begins on Nov. 15, it will have to come with victories in these two games. Given the results of these recent wins, it looks like they are intent on doing just that.