Women’s volleyball swept the New England Classic last weekend – and they did it in style.
The Huskies were impressive in all facets of their game. They lost only one set the whole tournament en route to beating Boston College, Harvard University and the University of Connecticut in the two-day event at Solomon Court.
After 14 non-conference matches, Northeastern is an outstanding 11-3 overall and 5-0 at home.
To say that the Huskies have been outplaying their opponents this season would be a compliment to their opponents. If their first 14 games are any indication, they look poised to have a highly successful year and make a run for the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) championship.
So far, the Northeastern volleyballers have recorded 14 kills and 16 digs per set while their opponents have averaged only 11 kills and 14 digs per set, evidence of how efficiently. Northeastern has been outperforming its opponents on both offense and on defense this season.
The squad’s success is so impressive due in large part to their difficult non-conference schedule. The Huskies have already taken on defending NCAA champion University of California-Los Angeles, a match in which they suffered a harsh 3-0 loss. The Huskies also dropped a tough match to Duke University, 3-1, before beating Sacred Heart University, 3-1 – both schools that appeared in the NCAA tournament in 2011.
Northeastern is also now considered one of the powerhouses in the conference – the Huskies were picked to finish first in the preseason CAA coaches poll – which is promising after last year’s disappointing loss to Virginia Commonwealth University in the CAA championship game.
The Huskies are a young team this year with only two seniors, but the current upperclassmen have continued to impress.
Junior outside hitter Kelly Bacon has been dominant throughout the season. She was named MVP of the New England Classic tournament last weekend and currently leads the Huskies with 165 kills.
But sophomore setter and outside hitter Jillian Briner isn’t far behind with 114 kills. On the defensive side, Northeastern has also been in prime form through the first month of its season. Sophomore libero Natalia Skiba is the team’s defensive leader and is first on the team with 278 digs.
Bacon and junior outside hitter and co-captain Janelle Tucker both have 123 digs, while junior setter Ina Kamenova leads the Huskies in assists on the season with 305. She has been a major factor in the success Bacon and Briner have had with their kills.
There are also players like senior middle hitter and co-captain Nicole Bishop who have had a little of everything throughout the season. Bishop leads the Huskies in blocks with (42) but is also fourth on the team in kills.
As a result of its success, Northeastern volleyball has been garnering increased support from the fans. Bishop recently had the honor of having a cheering section devoted to her at Solomon Court. Her entourage, fully clad in red and black paint, was composed of members of the men’s rowing team and led by sophomore boyfriend Cameron Buchan. Former men’s hockey winger Rob Dongara, who transferred to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst following the 2011-12 season, was one of few (if not the only) Huskies to have their own fan section in recent memory.
Starting this weekend, the Huskies begin conference matches – and they couldn’t look more prepared to do so. But while having an 11-3 record boosts confidence and can help improve the likelihood of a potential NCAA tournament at-large bid, none of that matters once CAA play begins.
The Huskies’ next match is against Hofstra University, which has a 12-6 record and should play a competitive game when they visit Solomon Court on Saturday night. The Pride have averaged 13.4 kills and 12.7 digs per set in its first 18 games, which is a little lower than Northeastern in both categories – but most athletes will tell you that statistics can be deceiving.
The start of CAA play means no more tournaments and more time for the team to rest. The Huskies don’t have to travel for their next five games, so they should be able to catch a breath.
But for all of our sakes, let’s hope that breath doesn’t take the wind out of their sails.
– Chris Judd can be reached at [email protected]
