Photo Courtesy of Kyle Good
By Dan Dilizia, Staff Writer
The Susquehanna women’s volleyball team tallied 20-plus wins for the eighth straight season following victories over Eastern University and Eastern Mennonite University on Saturday, Oct. 23 at the Bromwyn Keener/Amanda Swayze SUperstar Invitational in O.W. Houts Gymnasium in Selinsgrove. They also went on the road to defeat Franklin & Marshall College on Monday, Oct. 25 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Now achieving a 10-game winning streak, the River Hawks had their first matchup against regionally ranked Eastern, and swept them in three straight sets, 25-22, 25-15, and 25-15.
The defense shone in the contest, as the Eagles only hit .099 and finished with 23 errors, while Susquehanna notched 10 blocks and hit .238.
Senior libero Lizzie Herestofa took charge with 20 digs, and senior defensive specialist/outside hitter Megan Nelson helped out with nine. Senior middle hitter Paige Sfiroudis led the team with seven blocks.
Meanwhile, senior outside hitter Brooke LaCesa led the offense, recording 10 kills on 24 attempts, while also contributing four assisted blocks. Junior outside hitter Rosina Esposito was right behind her with eight kills and ten digs.
Senior right side/outside hitter Riley O’Dowd and senior outside hitter Kody Dillon chalked up points of their own, with O’Dowd posting seven kills, and Dillon adding six kills along with three assisted rejections.
“This weekend was imperative for regional rankings. Our performance against Eastern should be the standard for the rest of the season, everyone went out and executed the game plan just as we practiced,” said Dillon.
Sophomore setter Madison Rockey also helped the offense by tallying three service aces, in addition to 27 assists and nine digs.
The River Hawks had their second straight sweep of the day as they took down EMU with scores of 25-14, 25-8, and 25-16 in a dominant performance.
Susquehanna kept the opposing team on their heels as they again had a strong defensive outing forcing the Royals to hit -.061 and have 26 hitting errors.
This time, Esposito led the offensive drive for the River Hawks as she recorded 11 kills on 19 attempts, with O’Dowd notching seven kills of her own.
The first-year athletes also had a strong showing, with middle hitter Amanda Gore chalked up six kills and four blocks, and outside hitter Emily Kowalski posted three kills.
Rockey and first-year setter Kiera Roach combined for an impressive 25 assists. The team as a whole seemed to find their rhythm early as they hit .281 while collecting 11 service aces and totaling only two receiving errors.
The River Hawks then took down Franklin & Marshall College on Monday night, the only match they did not sweep. They have now emerged victorious in 16 of their last 17 games.
Esposito was unstoppable during the match, as she posted a double-double of 13 kills and 12 digs. The defense as a whole continued to produce, as Susquehanna tallied 79 digs and held the Diplomats to just .029.
The River Hawks handily won the first set 25-15, with a service ace from Herestofa all but sealing the deal at 22-12, and the rest was smooth sailing as the team forced 13 hitting errors. Herestofa would go on to total a solid 25 digs as well.
The second set was a bit closer, but Susquehanna’s key players again showed up. Esposito recorded two kills and blocks, along with two blocks from Sfiroudis and a service ace by Gore. With the score at 17-14, the River Hawks stepped on the gas and Nelson clinched the set with an ace. Nelson ended the match with a performance of 14 digs and led the team with three service aces.
The Diplomats struck back in the third set and won it 17-25 off the back of a seven-point run, but Susquehanna was able to finish strong by winning the fourth set 25-15 and win the game.
O’Dowd played well as usual, hitting .200 and finishing with 10 kills, three assisted blocks, and five digs. LaCesa was right behind her with nine kills, and Sfiroudis notched seven rejections. Rockey also clutched her fifth double-double of the season with 30 assists and 10 digs.
“Our blocking was the best it was all season. We really played with a lot of heart and intensity. Our attacking wasn’t the best but we made up for it in other aspects of the game,” said LaCesa.
Susquehanna hosts Catholic University of America on Wednesday, October 27, in Selinsgrove for senior night.
