The Northeastern volleyball team (7-12, 3-7 CAA) lost both games against the William & Mary Tribe (8-13, 3-7 CAA) Friday, Oct. 24 and Saturday, Oct. 25 in Virginia.
The teams were evenly matched going into the game as both were beaten twice by the Towson Tigers and split their series against the Stony Brook Seawolves, but the Tribe were victorious.
In the first matchup, the game was a back-and-forth battle as many of the Huskies’ games have been this season. It was the Huskies’ sixth game to go to five sets and the 11th time the Huskies were in a set beyond the typical set point.
Freshman setter and opposite hitter Emma Rowell had a career-high 24 kills and is first on the team in kills with 208, putting her 46 above the next highest Husky, graduate student outside hitter Svenja Rodenbüsch with 162. Sophomore setter Arina Sosinovica had 26 assists, and senior libero Nadia Koanui had 24 digs.
Despite Northeastern falling behind in the first set 13-10, the Huskies battled back to take it. Northeastern stayed behind until, with the score 17-16 for William & Mary, the Huskies took eight of the next nine points to earn a 22-18 lead. Yet, the Tribe were ready to fight. Both teams exchanged two points each to bring Northeastern to set point, but four consecutive points for the Tribe tied the set at 24. Luckily, a service error by William & Mary and a silencing kill by Rodenbüsch secured it for Northeastern, 26-24.
Just as the first set was close, the second was no different. Northeastern took the first point before each team went on four-point runs, keeping Northeastern ahead, 5-4. Both teams struggled to get an edge, until with the score 10-9 Northeastern, the Tribe took six of the next seven points to lead 15-11. Northeastern managed to tie it at 16 by taking five of the next six points off four kills and an ace by sophomore outside hitter Brynn Smith. Unfortunately for Northeastern, the Tribe kept getting an edge, putting the team ahead 21-18.
The teams exchanged two points each before two consecutive errors for the Tribe brought the set back to a one-point deficit. A kill by William & Mary brought it to set point, but Smith answered back with a kill to keep the Huskies alive. Unfortunately, not for the first time this season, a service error for Smith gave the Tribe the set win, 25-23.
Despite the third set being close in the beginning, it didn’t stay that way for long. With the score 6-5 Northeastern, the Tribe took 10 of the next 13 points to lead Northeastern 15-9. With the score 24-17, a kill by redshirt freshman outside hitter Valentina Meirelles kept the Huskies alive, but a bad set handed the Tribe a 25-18 victory.
The Huskies came into the fourth set needing a win to stay alive in the game, and they got just that. Despite Northeastern taking an early 5-2 lead, the Tribe managed to tie the set at 10 after consecutive kills and an ace. The Tribe pulled ahead and took a 14-13 lead, but the Huskies answered back by taking seven of the next eight points to take the lead at 20-15. The teams went point-for-point until a kill and an ace by Rowell sealed it 25-19.
The fifth set seemed to belong to the Tribe from the beginning as they jumped out to an 8-2 lead, but the Huskies weren’t going down that easily. The teams exchanged points until, with the score 11-5 for the Tribe, Northeastern had a six-point scoring streak to tie the set at 11. The teams exchanged points before the set was brought to match point, but the Huskies again kept themselves alive, this time with consecutive kills and an error by the Tribe. The Huskies needed a single point to seal the set, but William & Mary pulled ahead. Three consecutive blocks handed the Tribe the set 17-15 and the game in five sets.
The second game of the weekend was not nearly as close as the first, with the Huskies falling in three sets to William & Mary. Meirelles led the team in kills with only nine, junior middle blocker Beatrice Gennari led in blocks with three and Koanui once again led in digs.
The first set began with each team scoring two consecutive points until, with William & Mary leading 8-6, the Huskies took six of the next seven to pull ahead 12-9. The deficit remained the same until, with the score 17-14, Northeastern took five of the next six to go ahead 22-15. Just as the end looked to be in sight, the Tribe went off, taking seven of the next eight points to cut Northeastern’s lead to 23-22. An error by the Tribe brought it to set point for Northeastern, but three kills and an ace gave William & Mary the set, 26-24.
After the demoralizing end of the first set, it was difficult for the Huskies to come back in the second, and they fell 25-19. The set remained close until, with the score 11-11, the Tribe took six of the next 10 points for a narrow 17-15 lead. William & Mary continued its tear, taking five of the next seven to lead 22-17. Despite giving up two points to Northeastern, the Tribe did not fall apart the same way Northeastern did the set before, securing the win off a bad serve by Smith and two blocks.
The Huskies were down early in the third set, falling 7-3. Northeastern took the next two points off a block and an ace, but the Tribe took five of the next seven to increase their lead to 12-7. The teams exchanged two points each before the Huskies took seven of the next 10 to cut the lead to 17-16. Both tacked on three points each before the Tribe notched four consecutive points to bring it to match point. A service error by the Tribe kept the Huskies in the game momentarily, but a kill sucked away the Huskies’ chances, ending the set 25-20 and the game in three sets.
The Huskies will look to bounce back against the Hampton University Pirates (1-21, 0-12 CAA) for Northeastern’s second-to-last home series of the season.
