On September 13, the women’s volleyball team hosted a tri-match against Tufts and Drew at the Canavan Arena. The Ducks lost to Tufts in a close match but returned to the court, fought valiantly, and comfortably beat Drew 3-0.
The Ducks started the day with a record of 3-3 for the season and were looking to improve upon this record. Tufts hit the ground running, but Stevens was hot on their heels and did not let their opponents get a comfortable lead. Stevens fought to trim the deficit down to 15-16, putting pressure on their opponents. However, the Jumbos managed to close out the set 20-25.
The second set was back and forth, featuring multiple long rallies and lead switches. The set was tight and competitive, and towards the end, the Ducks were leading 23-22. However, Tufts managed to bring it back level, 24-24, a deuce. This meant that the set had to go past the standard 25 points until a team obtained a two-point lead. The set ended with the Jumbos scraping by with a 27-25 win.
The third and final set also went the distance and featured another deuce. The set started with a Tufts lead, but Stevens held the line and once again brought the score level to 24-24. Tufts took the final two rallies, winning the set 26-24 and the match 3-0.
Despite the disappointing result, it is clear that the Ducks fought tooth and nail and did not make it easy for Tufts. There were some standout performances from players like sophomore Ella Kraver with 15 kills, the most in the match. Similarly, senior Vivian Lisboa had four service aces.
After their loss in the earlier match, Stevens returned to the court for the evening match against Drew. Both the team and the fans were hoping for a win, and the Ducks did not disappoint. The Rangers started the first set strong, managing to take a commanding lead. However, the Ducks were not done yet. They fought valiantly and even went on a 6-1 run to end the set with a 25-23 win.
The second set started with Stevens getting two early kills and then two aces, taking their lead to 5-1. Throughout the set, the lead widened and ended with Stevens winning 25-16.
In the final set, the Ducks dominated from the first blow of the whistle, starting from where they left off. In the middle of the set, they managed to go on a 10-1 run. The atmosphere in the arena was electric as the team had found their stride. They ended the set 25-15 and won the match 3-0, earning a warm round of applause from the attendees.
Both sophomore, Alexa Brucculeri, and first-year, Lianna Schmieder, gave amazing performances, building off the last match. Brucculeri got 29 assists and three aces, while Schmieder got 21 digs, on top of the 16 she got in the Tufts match. Sophomore Ella Boland was the leading scorer with 15 kills. All the Ducks played with their lives on the line, and taught everyone in attendance a lesson on resilience and how to bounce back from a loss.
