In its first home games this season, the Northeastern volleyball team (5-8, 1-3 CAA) suffered tough losses to the Towson University Tigers (13-2, 4-0 CAA) in four sets Friday, Sept. 26 and five sets Saturday, Sept. 27.
In the first game, junior middle blocker Beatrice Gennari led the team in blocks with five and was second in kills with 12. Freshman setter Sofia King and senior libero Nadia Koanui led in digs with 25. Sophomore outside hitter Brynn Smith led in kills with 16.
“[Gennari] did a phenomenal job for us, really held down that middle spot and really allowed our others to find success, being as successful as she was,” associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Jaime Snyder said.
The majority of the first set of the game belonged to the Huskies. Energy was high in the Cabot Center, and the Northeastern bench rarely stopped cheering and dancing. Northeastern rolled in the beginning, going up 8-2 before Towson took a timeout to figure out its communication issues. After Northeastern got the first point off the timeout from a block by Gennari and graduate student outside hitter Svenja Rodenbüsch, Towson took five of the next six points to cut Northeastern’s lead to 10-7.
The Huskies battled to keep their lead alive and managed to go up 17-11. However, Towson wasn’t done yet, and its bench grew louder while the Northeastern fans grew quieter as the Tigers took six of the next seven points. With a 18-16 lead, the Huskies took a timeout to settle.
Out of the timeout, a kill by Gennari put Northeastern up 19-16. As the Tigers added two points to bring the score within one, consecutive kills from King and freshman setter and opposite hitter Emma Rowell fired up the Northeastern bench and led to Towson taking a timeout of its own.
The Huskies’ faces were full of smiles out of the timeout, while the Tigers were serious, unwilling to fall to a team and lose their undefeated conference record.
Consecutive errors for Northeastern and a kill for Towson tied the set up for the first time at 21 each. The teams went point-for-point until a kill by Smith brought it to set point. With the end just in reach, Towson tied it back up again. A clutch kill by Gennari put Northeastern at set point again, but consecutive kills put Towson up by one. Northeastern took a timeout, but an error by King gave the Tigers the first set, 27-25.
When a team is down 20-7, it’s safe to assume that the set is almost over, but that wasn’t the case in the second set between Towson and Northeastern. With things looking desperate for the Huskies, Northeastern brought in freshman opposite hitter Elle Lucas and sophomore setter Arina Sosinovica.
“Bringing some fresh legs in the core and being able to spread our offense, it adds that extra hitter,” Snyder said. “Helping diversify our offense a little bit gives Towson a different look, but now [having] three or four hitters up every time really allowed us to find success in that.”
Consecutive kills by Smith and Rodenbüsch and an error by Towson built the energy until a kill from Smith fired up the crowd and the Northeastern bench. The Huskies continued to build their lead, feeding off the energy inside Cabot before Towson took a timeout with the score 20-14.
Towson opened up out of the timeout with a point from a bad serve by Smith, but consecutive kills by Lucas and a bad set for the Tigers forced them to use another timeout with the score 21-17. The game took another pause on the next play when Towson challenged an attack error on its part, but the challenge was unsuccessful.
Three consecutive kills for Northeastern tied the game, and the atmosphere in Cabot was electric. The Huskies had made up a 13-point deficit, but the set wasn’t over yet. Towson went back ahead at 22-21, but consecutive errors on its point gave Northeastern the lead 23-22. A kill from Rowell brought it to set point, but it wasn’t enough. In an intense set, the teams went point-for-point, reaching set point five more times until a dominant kill by sophomore middle blocker Zehra Yilmaz handed the Huskies the set win, 30-28.
The third set was another tight matchup between the teams. Towson opened up the set leading 4-1. After back-and-forth action, the Huskies managed to tie the set at six each from another kill by Yilmaz. Neither team could get an edge until, with the score tied at 14, Towson took 10 of the next 14 points to bring it to set point. But the Huskies weren’t going to let Towson have it that easily. A kill for Smith after a long volley between the teams began the run, which was followed by two more kills for Northeastern and an error by Towson that brought the set to 24-22. Despite the Huskies’ efforts, a kill by Towson sealed the set, 25-22.
In the fourth set, the teams continued going point-for-point. With the score 7-7, consecutive kills by Towson put the Tigers up 9-7. The Huskies fired back six of the next seven points to take back the lead, 13-10. Yet, the Tigers scored six of the next eight points to take the lead back at 16-15. As Towson led 17-16, a kill for Rowell and an ace for freshman libero Aven Crosby fired up the crowd and put Northeastern ahead 18-17. The rest of the set was a back-and-forth battle with neither team able to string together points. Eventually, as Northeastern led 23-22, a kill and two blocks gave Towson the set 25-23 and the game in four sets.
With the Northeastern Pep Band’s instruments pumping up Cabot, the Huskies and Tigers were set to face off in another tight matchup that afternoon.
Northeastern dominated at the net with 22 blocks compared to Towson’s six. Gennari once again led in blocks with a season-high 13, and Koanui led in digs with 18. Rowell notched 13 kills, and Sosinovica had 20 assists for Northeastern.
The first set began with each team struggling to get an edge; there were seven lead changes through the first 13 points. Then, the Tigers took charge, earning eight of the next 11 points, including two aces, to take a 15-9 lead over Northeastern and sending the match to a media timeout.
During the timeout, the Northeastern bench was getting pumped up, trying to bring the energy back for the Huskies. They did just that.
Both teams exchanged points before a series of great saves for Northeastern and a huge kill by Smith fired up the crowd and motivated the Huskies as they began to crawl back toward a lead. A block for Lucas and Gennari, back-to-back aces for Sosinovica and a kill for Gennari brought the score to 16-15 Towson.
While Towson managed to notch a kill, a four-point streak gave Northeastern the lead 19-17, forcing the Tigers to take a timeout and recollect themselves.
Out of the timeout, the Tigers tied the set off a kill and a bad spike by redshirt freshman Valentina Meirelles that hit the line judge. The teams added a point each before three consecutive points for Northeastern put the team within two of winning the set, and Towson used its last timeout.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, their timeout wasn’t enough to stop the Huskies’ momentum. After an ace by Rowell brought it to set point, King’s serve was fired back by Towson, but the Huskies handled it. As soon as the ball made contact with Rowell’s hands, the Huskies knew the set was theirs. She fired off a kill and fired up the team as the players switched sides and prepared for the second set.
Despite Northeastern jumping out to a 6-3 lead, Towson took nine of the next 10 points and maintained a five-point lead for the majority of the set until the Huskies again fought back. Rowell got a kill after the ball bounced around on the basketball hoop on Towson’s side and dropped in front of the Tigers. The Huskies got another point off of an error by Towson before an assertive kill by Rowell rocked Cabot and led to a Towson timeout.
With the score 20-18 out of the timeout, both teams continued to exchange points before a kill brought it to set point for Towson at 24-21. The block party continued as, on the next point, a block by Smith and Gennari gave Northeastern back serving possession. A kill by Gennari brought it back to a one-point deficit, but Towson drained the Huskies’ points with a kill.
With the sets now 1-1, Northeastern came out of the locker room ready to fight. Neither team could get an edge until three kills and an ace gave Towson a 12-7 lead. As had been the theme of the weekend series, Northeastern fought back, taking seven of the next nine points to tie the set at 14. A huge block by Yilmaz and Rodenbüsch put Northeastern back in control, 16-15.
The Huskies couldn’t be stopped, taking five of the next seven points to lead 21-17 before Towson used its last timeout of the set. After back-and-forth action, an error on Towson’s part brought the set to set point, 24-19 Northeastern.
While a bad serve by Smith, a kill and a block put the tigers close, a kill for Rodenbüsch sealed the set and put Northeastern up 2-1
In the fourth set, neither team managed to lead by more than two points. After a media timeout, with the score 15-13 Towson, the Tigers managed to notch three more points off of consecutive attack errors by the Huskies and a kill to lead 18-13.
The Huskies took a timeout when trailing to 20-14, but it wasn’t enough. With neither team able to string together points, the Huskies couldn’t get an edge and lost the set 25-19, forcing a fifth set.
With the fifth set only going to 15 points, Northeastern needed to jump out early in order to compete with the Tigers. The Huskies did just that, leading 5-1 and forcing Towson to use a timeout early. The break seemed to be just what Towson needed, as the team’s bench was screaming and motivating their teammates, and the Tigers took eight of the next 10 points to jump out 9-7. Consecutive kills by Rowell and Smith tied the set back up, but a kill and a huge block by Towson put the Tigers up 11-9 and forced Northeastern to use a timeout.
Errors by both teams, followed by two kills and an error by Towson, brought it to match point at 14-11 with the Tigers on top, and Northeastern used its final timeout of the set. A block by Gennari and Smith kept the Huskies’ hopes alive and led to another timeout, this time by Towson. In devastating fashion, a serve by Smith right outside the court lines gave Towson the set win, 15-12, and the game in five sets.
“It was great to compete with the top of our conference,” Snyder said. “[There’s] a few things we can continue to work on, but overall, we’re very happy with how we played.”
The Huskies are back in action against the Elon University Phoenix (4-9, 2-0 CAA) Oct. 11 and 12 on the road.
