Tribe’s Three-Match Winning Streak Ends with a 3-2 Loss to VCU

09/26/07 10:25PM

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary volleyball team had its three-match winning streak snapped with a 3-2 (30-28, 22-30, 30-25, 20-30, 15-10) loss to Virginia Commonwealth University on Wednesday evening in Williamsburg.

The Tribe (7-9, 2-1) was led by freshman Ginny Bray who recorded 14 kills on .419 hitting (14-1-31) and seven total blocks. Junior Molly Bohman also played well and tallied 12 put-aways on a .435 attack percentage (12-2-23) with six total blocks, while sophomore Lauren Powell registered a team-best 15 kills. Junior Kim Mount dished out a match-high 53 assists, while classmates Jill Nowadly and Jo Sotto each had 20 digs apiece.

The Rams (4-11, 2-1) utilized a 12-4 run midway through the opening game to take a 18-9 lead. W&M gradually chipped away at the margin, however, and drew within four, 23-19, after a VCU attack error. While the Rams scored two consecutive points, the College continued its charge and closed the gap to just a single point, 27-26, following a block assist by Bray and Mount. The Tribe still trailed by just one late, 29-28, but the VCU’s Ariel Newman scored the game’s final point.

With the count knotted at 5-5 in the second frame, the Green and Gold rattled off a 6-1 run to open up a five-point lead. The Tribe extended the margin to seven, 16-9, after a service ace by Nowadly. W&M went ahead by as many as 10 points, 28-20, following an ace by sophomore Lindsey Pflugner and coasted to the game two victory. Bray had six kills on .857 hitting (6-0-7) in the set.

The third game was tightly contested much of the way, as the teams found themselves tied on 11 occasions. Neither squad could build more than a three-point lead, and the score was tied at 22-22 late in the frame. VCU finally took control shortly thereafter when it utilized a 7-2 spurt to pull away and earn the game.

W&M scored seven of the first eight points in the fourth game and took a commanding 7-1 advantage. While the Rams worked the lead down to four, the Tribe responded with a 12-4 run, punctuated with back-to-back service aces by sophomore Bryana Carey, to take a 25-13 advantage. The Rams got no closer than nine the rest of the way as W&M claimed the fourth game.

While the Tribe built a 9-7 lead in the final frame, VCU rattled off eight of the contest’s final nine points to win the game and the match.

The Tribe will not be in action this weekend, but it will return to the court next weekend with road matches at Towson and Delaware.

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