Courtesy of Kyle Leach

Hillary Santana spikes a ball in practice.

BY DENNIS FAN

In print | Published September 25, 2008

This past Friday and Saturday the busy Swarthmore Women’s Volleyball Team (4-11) attended their final tournament before the start of conference play, the Sea Gull Classic at Salisbury University.

The Garnet got off to a slow start, falling to Richard Stockton College 25-19, 25-21, 25-14 and Salisbury 25-14, 25-12, 25-21. However, the team recovered on Saturday, looking in far better form in a contested loss to Virginia Wesleyan College 25-14, 20-25, 25-13, 25-17. Shortly after, the team settled the score with Virginia Wesleyan by shutting them out three sets to none in a 25-22, 25-23, 25-16 routing.

The Sea Gull Classic was not only significant because it was the last tournament before the Centennial Conference matches, but also due to the accomplishments of a few of the team’s key players. Kearney Bangs ’10 reached the 2,000-assist milestone after posting 91 helpers over the tournament. Bangs now ranks second in assists in school history. Jen Wang ’09 also passed an important milestone, reaching 1,000-kills at the end of this weekend. According to Salisbury’s tournament report, Wang was also selected for the 2008 Sea Gull Classic All-Tournament Team.

“Jen and Genna [Pezzola ‘12]” proved to be an offensive force to be reckoned with, said Coach Harleigh Chwastyk. In their victory against Virginia Wesleyan, the two combined for 21 kills while Pezzolla posted a team high of 17 digs. The capacity of offensive players to contribute to defense has certainly been an asset for the team this season.

The players’ defensive prowess has defined the team this year. Despite the lack of a true middle blocker, Swarthmore’s defense has been outstanding, digging consistently and seldom giving away free points. Libero Erin Heaney ’09 will make calls on defense to take opponents out of hitting patterns and to counter hitters’ tendencies.

Chwastyk comments that volleyball is a game where there are “more minuses than you have pluses.” In other words, a hitter is more likely to commit an error than to hit a winner. Swarthmore’s defense can frustrate and enervate opponents when points become extended and their hitters have difficulty putting the ball away. Often opponents become demoralized before they become physically worn out.

Often volleyball is largely a mental game. Sarah Lambert ’11 explained that during Friday’s losses, “The team was really off. We had just gotten out of classes …We put our heads in the game on the second day.” Lambert went on to comment on the emotionality of the sport, “When one player is up the team is up; when one player is down, the team is down.”

Chwastyk concurred, praising the women’s team for overcoming “mental hurdles” that had impeded their performance early on. The team is constantly improving through practice and adapting to their opponents. The team has been working especially hard on serving. “If we can get our serving down” then the chances for victory will be much higher, Lambert commented. She also said that it was important for the team to take advantage of the game once they had taken a lead.

After a string of away games, the team will face Bryn Mawr at home on Wednesday, September 24th for a Centennial Conference match. The team has been spending extra time preparing for this particular game. Chwastyk commented that when the volleyball team plays in tournaments or frequent matches it becomes increasingly difficult to prepare for a specific opponent.

Wednesday night is also the Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night, where players invite professors to cheer on the team. The faculty and staff are generally very enthusiastic about watching the team play, and this year, after being treated to world-class volleyball during the Beijing Summer Olympics, many are even more eager to observe the match. (Of course the game is open to all Swarthmore students who wish to cheer on their volleyball team).

Despite their dedication to rigorously prepare for the upcoming match, the volleyball team is concerned with more than just winning or losing. This October the team continues to sponsor the “Digging for A Cure” fundraiser as their contribution to National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, founded by Chwastyk a few years ago. The players will solicit donations by asking for a cash pledge for each dig the team has. The Centennial Conference volleyball teams have raised $13,000 in the past two years. This year, they hope to break the $10,000 mark.

« RETURN TO SPORTS

« PREV ARTICLE | NEXT ARTICLE »