The Northeastern University volleyball team gained sole possession of first place in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) with wins against the University of Delaware and Towson University over the weekend.
With the victories, the Huskies (11-6, 4-0 CAA) remain undefeated in-conference, the best start the team has had to a CAA season since 2012.
“Obviously, we want to win, but we have to be able to focus on key aspects of what we want to do,” second-year outside hitter Amy Underdown said. “I think the second time around in conference it does get tougher because teams know your tendencies. We have to kick it into gear and show teams something that they haven’t seen before from us.”
Underdown was named CAA Player of the week for the second time in a row Monday, after totaling 13 kills against Delaware and 24 against Towson. The California native served over eight aces and compiled 16 digs over the course of the two matches as well.
Delaware struck twice to take an early lead Friday, but Northeastern bounced back with three consecutive kills from first-year outside hitter Athena Ardila. The Huskies defeated the Blue Hens (3-11, 1-3 CAA) in straight sets, but not without a fight in each of the frames.
“[Delaware] was with us the entire way in each set, until we got into the 20s,” said head coach Ken Nichols. “And we were able to just flex our muscles a little bit, three times in a row, which is pretty rare at this level.”
The first set went back and forth, but a 4-1 run from the Huskies was enough to pull ahead for a 25-19 advantage. The second played out similarly, with the Blue Hens taking a 20-19 lead, and the Northeastern women scoring six of the next seven points.
Northeastern won the third a bit more comfortably, mainly due to an early run of five points for the Huskies, four of which came from Underdown’s service and front-line play.
“I knew when I recruited [Underdown] that she had the potential to do great things here,” Nichols said. “When she committed, I was elated. She’s such an incredible, dangerous weapon.”
On Sunday, the Huskies took on hot-hitting Towson. The Tigers (16-2, 2-2 CAA) boasted an undefeated preseason record and were looking to rebound after their first loss of the season against Hofstra University.
But the Huskies came out strong. A 6-1 run early in the first set gave them a solid lead and they were able to keep building, eventually winning, 25-16.
Despite a 23-22 lead in the second, the Huskies were unable to stop three kills from the Tigers, as they evened the match at one set apiece.
In the pivotal third set, facing a Towson set point, the Huskies went on a 5-1 run to secure the frame.
“We did a really good job of staying leveled with our adrenaline,” Underdown said. “I think that’s a huge thing for us this year”
Underdown also spoke about taking it one point at a time, something that the Huskies proved they could do in the fourth set. Down 18-15, the Northeastern women scored ten points in a row to win the set.
The match-ending streak was built off of stellar defensive play and consistent serving from third-year defensive specialist Sherrie Wang, who placed over an ace on match point. Fourth-year setter Kristen Walding and first-year middle blocker Gabrielle Tschannen each contributed two blocks, anchoring the defense during the stretch.
Tschannen registered 10 blocks against Towson — her first double-digit performance of the year.
The Huskies will return home to play the College of William & Mary Thursday in an attempt to extend their six-game winning streak.
“I never would have guessed in four matches that we’d be the only team undefeated in our conference,” Nichols said. “We’ve got some teams that are just tearing it up. We’ve got a long way to go, but I’ll take it.”
