Pace Paw Print

Media Credit: Alex Pandolfi Senior Ashley D'Agostini and the Setters volleyball team get ready for a comeback

Sept. 6, Pleasantville - After falling behind the first two games of the match, 30-26 and 30-28, to the non conference Mercy College Mavericks, the Setters came back fighting for the next two games as they tied up the match 2-2. Even with a roaring comeback the Setters were not able to put the match away. The Setters lost the season opener 3-2 a week ago this past Thurs. night in the Goldstein Fitness Center.

The Setters came out a little slow in the beginning of the first game when the Mavericks started the game on a point run of 6-1. The Setters would eventually narrow the margin as they would bring Mercy down to a three point lead of 22-19 late in the first game. That is the closest lead that the Mavericks allowed in the first game as the Setters lost the first game 30-26.

The second game featured another slow Setter start. It ended in a 30-28 loss, but it was nowhere near over. Now down 2-0 for the match and with their backs against the wall the Setters needed a few sparks to fuel a comeback.

Those sparks couldn't have come at a better time then in the third game. The Setters started off this game on an 8-2 run. This exciting bounce back eventually lead to a 30-16 win of the third game, which was also the biggest lead either team had for the night.

With momentum on their side the Setters were looking to tie this match up. Unfortunately the Mavericks were not going to lie down and let that happen.

Nearing the end of the fourth game, the Mavericks tied it up with a score of 29-29, leaving them only two points away from a mark in the win column. The Setters were still not done as they scored the next two points leading them to a 31-29 nail biting fourth game win.

With match tied at 2-2 the Setters and the Mavericks were set for a game five showdown for the match. This game started off very tight, as the Setters gained a 4-1 lead only for it to be tied by the Mavericks moments later. The lead changes kept on coming in game five until the score was tied at 11-11. The Setters scored the next three points giving them a 14-11 lead.

With only one point left from a comeback victory the Setters had momentum still on their side and looked ready for a win in their season opener. The Mavericks though would just not quit as they tied the score up once again at 14-14. A little more back and forth with points between the two teams eventually lead to the Mavericks ending the Setter's comeback hopes by inching out a 19-17 win in game five and the match.

The top Setter performances in the game came from juniors Danielle Furka and Korena Johnson. Johnson chimed in with three aces and had a team high of 12 kills. Furka recorded ten kills and had a team high four aces on the night. Senior Ashley D'Agostini also made some noise by getting 38 of the team's 43 assists.

When asked how she felt about this hard loss overall Johnson stated, "If we came out strong in the beginning we would have won. We got out the jitters of the first game." Furka feeling the same way added her thoughts saying, "We will be so much stronger than tonight. We just needed to get out the kinks."

Even though it wasn't a winning effort for the Setters, it is only the first match of a long season. D'Agostini had this to say when she was asked about her feelings on the rest of the season, "I'm very excited for the season. We have new freshman with a lot of potential and, tonight we just had jitters for the first real game." With the Setters volleyball team "jitter-free" they can look forward to a successful season ahead.

The Setters' next home games are, Sat., Sept. 23 at 3:30 p.m. against conference rival Saint Rose and Sun., Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. against another conference school in Le Moyne. Both games can be seen in the Goldstein Fitness Center.

Article Tools