The Emerson women’s volleyball team fell to the Springfield College Pride before defeating the University of Southern Maine Huskies on Saturday. The equally energetic Lions and Pride hoped to spoil each other’s 3-0 start to conference play, with Springfield also boasting a 10-game win streak.
Following their final tri-match of the regular season, they now stand at 3-1 in NEWMAC play and 10-7 overall.
Four-Set Loss to Springfield
The Lions and Pride held brief two-point leads throughout set one until the visitors began to pull away. Back-to-back Springfield spikes made it a 19-15 game, but the Lions remained composed. After chipping away and securing a couple of kills made by first-year outside hitter Shirley Yu, the Lions eventually regained the lead after an ace by sophomore setter Sophia Schiappa. They eventually claimed victory behind a block by junior middle hitter Hannah Miller and a Pride service error, taking the opening set 25-23.
The ties and constant lead changes continued in set. two until Springfield claimed a 22-17 lead through strong attacks and costly Lion errors. Though Yu’s kills managed to extend the set, the Pride tied things up with a 25-19 win.
Both sides fought to gain the upper hand in the third set, once again trading brief leads. The Pride’s offense powered them to an 11-5 advantage after a flurry of kills and aces, forcing the Lions to regroup. Emerson cut into the deficit with kills by first-year middle hitter Catherine McDonough, trailing 13-8. However, the Pride continued to separate themselves with a forceful attack, ultimately taking set three, 25-13.
The Lions didn’t let the rough showing stop them, as they opened set four in dominant fashion. Spikes, aces, and swats contributed to a hot 8-0 start for Emerson. But the Pride woke up and responded accordingly, eventually trailing by two after an ace. Lion attack errors only fueled the Pride’s rise, as the visitors tied the set at 11. After McDonough and Springfield exchanged kills, another spike gave Springfield a 13-12 lead, leading to a raucous response from the visiting bench.
Kills by McDonough and Yu helped the Lions regain the lead, but after going up 16-14, the Pride pounced. Springfield went on a 5-0 run to earn a 19-16 advantage. The Lions kept the set close, but offensive errors and tight defense by Springfield kept the Pride at arm’s length. Following an ace by junior libero Kori Meissner, Springfield shut the door on Emerson with an emphatic spike, winning 25-20.
Yu led the Lions with 12 kills, while sophomore setter Chloe Hokenson dished out 19 assists. Defensively, junior defensive specialist Lauren Yoo tallied a team-high 16 digs, and sophomore middle hitter Lorena Rivera posted a pair of blocks.
Even though the Lions have gotten off to a strong start in NEWMAC play, Schiappa said there are several skills they are honing as they face tougher competition.
“We’re working on our blocking and our defense, and really trying to make our offense more productive,” she told The Beacon. “[When] playing those tougher teams, [we] just gotta go out there and play.”
Sweep over Southern Maine
The Lions got off to a strong start in the opening set, leading 12-5 after several McDonough spikes. They proceeded to control the period with precise kills and aces, while committing minimal errors. Though the Huskies converted some attacks of their own, the Lions won set one convincingly, 25-11.
Both sides tightened their scoring up in set two, with Southern Maine taking a three-point lead, 10-7, after an Emerson attack error. As the Lions trimmed the deficit and tied the set at ten, the Huskies rattled off six straight points, a run only broken by kills from McDonough and first-year right side Lizi Horning.
The home team’s comeback strengthened with kills by first-year outside hitter Dalena Garrett and sophomore middle hitter Lorena Rivera, and aces by Yoo and Schiappa. An emphatic double block by McDonough and Rivera tied the set at 21 before the Huskies regained the lead with a kill. Attacks by Miller and Schiappa gave the Lions set point, and after an Emerson service error, a spike from Horning gave the Lions a 25-23 win.
In the third set, the Lions took advantage of the Huskies’ attack errors while capitalizing on their own offense, taking a 6-0 lead after a block by Schiappa. They maintained their lead throughout the period, despite another 5-0 run by the Huskies. Kills by Garrett, Horning, and Schiappa were the catalysts for Emerson’s offense, as the Lions led by as many as nine, 21-12. Despite another late run by Southern Maine, a McDonough and Garrett double block and two more kills by Garrett took care of business for Emerson, as the Lions completed the sweep and took set three, 25-16.
Garrett recorded a career-high 13 kills to jolt the Lions offense. Yoo once again led Emerson in digs (eight), as did Rivera with blocks (two). Schiappa finished with a team-high 17 assists—three short of matching a career-high that she achieved against Salve Regina University on Sept. 30.
Schiappa addressed the team’s ability to remain composed as opponents put together scoring runs, which was a common theme in both games.
“That’s something we’ve been working on,” she added. “It’s just staying calm and controlling our side when we can, controlling unforced errors—we don’t want to make any of those. And just [staying] calm and collected, and our captains do a really good job of keeping us together as a team.”
Following a loss to the Babson College Beavers, who remain undefeated in NEWMAC play, the Lions return to Brown-Plofker on Thursday at 7 p.m., facing St. Joseph’s College.
