SELINSGROVE, Pa. – The Drew University women's volleyball team closed out its second year as a varsity program on a high note, sweeping Goucher College to come away with a split at Susquehanna University on Saturday.
The Rangers finish the season with a solid record of 17-12 and for the second year in a row, defeated a pair of Landmark Conference opponents.
Drew opened the day with a 3-0 loss to Elizabethtown College, a Landmark Conference Championship qualifier. The Blue Jays won 25-16, 25-20, 25-21 to push their record to 22-6 (4-2 LC).
Drew finished the afternoon with a 25-11, 25-10, 25-22 triumph over Goucher (4-23, 0-7 LC).
Sophomore
Andrea Camacho-Tenreiro paced the Rangers versus Etown, throwing down 15 kills to go with 10 digs. Sophomore setter
Jasmine Butler also posted a double-double with 29 assists and 15 digs while juniors
Leila Ksiyer and
Melina Christodoulou contributed four and three blocks, respectively. Sophomore
Lauren Gaza scooped 34 digs, setting a team record for digs in a three-set match for the second game in a row.
Versus Goucher, Christodoulou led the way with eight kills and just one error while knocking down three blocks. Ksiyer added seven kills and no errors on 13 swings for a .538 hitting night, and she also served up four aces. Camacho-Tenreiro added six kills and eight digs while Butler dished out 23 assists. Gaza contributed 12 digs and three aces.
After leading just once in the opening set against Elizabethtown, the Rangers jumped to a 7-4 lead in the second set. They led 11-9 before the Blue Jays broke it open with a 9-1 run. Drew was unable to get closer than three the rest of the way.
The Rangers were in control early again in the final set and enjoyed a 14-8 advantage midway through the period. However, Etown rallied with another 9-1 run to assume a 21-17 lead, and it would not trail again.
Against the Gophers, Drew led just 12-9 before breaking it open with a 9-1 run to go up 21-10. The Rangers then used a pair of big runs to seize control in the second set. They outscored Goucher 9-0 to assume a 14-5 lead, then closed the set with an 8-0 outburst.
Goucher led 9-6 early in the final set and 16-15 before the Rangers opened up some breathing room with an 8-0 run. A 5-0 Gopher spurt cut the lead to two (23-21), but that's as close as they would get.
Drew ended the year in impressive fashion, winning five of its last six matches and seven of its final nine contests.