The last two weeks have shown a variety of ups and downs for the Lady Rams volleyball team, dating back to their match against East Stroudsburg on Tuesday, Oct. 9, completing the season sweep of the East Stroudsburg squad. The team took three straight games in the match, with scores of 30-16, 30-21 and 30-24. Senior captain Kristen Decker, who recorded a double-double, and freshman Ashley Focht, who registered 14 kills, led the offense. Jacqueline Vivanco also added 25 digs, while Lisa Yeasted notched 42 assists.
The win took the team to the twenty-win plateau, marking only the fifth time ever that the West Chester women’s volleyball team has ever won twenty games in a season. Their next goal is to pass the all-time wins mark for a single season at twenty-eight.
Next up was a round robin weekend tournament in Shippensburg where the Rams took on three non-league opponents. First up was Elizabeth City State, where the girls again shut the opponent out in three straight games.
Freshman Michelle Powers continued to shine as she led the team with 11 kills. Jenna Burd recorded 10 kills of her own while Decker added seven. Other notables included Yeasted with 29 assists and two aces, Jacqueline Vivanco with 24 digs, and Kyra Yost with 15 digs.
Saturday brought with it Wheeling Jesuit College and one of the most exciting matches of the season.
The girls dropped the first two games of the match 28-30 and 25-30 before regrouping and coming back to score three straight wins and take the match 3-2. The girls never gave up, and really showed how much heart they have.
Decker again led with 18 kills, with Powers taking 14 and Burd registering 12. Vivanco also recorded 35 digs.
During the contest, there was an injury to the team’s leading setter, Lisa Yeasted. She alone had recorded over 80 percent of the team’s assists, and will be greatly missed on the squad until she is well enough to return.
The Rams would go on to win their next game against the University of the District of Columbia 3-0, running their win streak to six games.
The next match against the conference rival Kutztown Golden Bears proved to be another extremely exciting match, as well as a huge heartbreaker for the girls. After taking the first two games of the match, the Golden Rams lost three straight as the Bears took the match 3-2.
Kutztown’s women never gave up, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win. West Chester gave it a great shot in the fifth game to come back, but the Golden Bears were just too strong in the end, as they won on a 4-1 run.
A bright spot for the Rams in the loss was Decker, who posted a triple-double with 18 kills, 31 assists and 19 digs. Powers led the team with 19 kills.
The weekend brought with it the PSAC West crossover tournament hosted by California.
The first game Friday night was a tough one against IUP. The girls continued to struggle with the loss of their leading setter, as they fell 3-1.
Decker recorded her second straight triple-double. She and Powers led the team with 12 digs each. Other standouts in the loss were Vivanco with 30 digs, Ashley Zech with 15 digs and Ashley Focht, who recorded a double-double along with four aces.
The pain continued as WCU dropped three straight games to the tourney host, California.
They finally broke the three game slump in the final game of the tournament Saturday night, as they defeated Slippery Rock 3-2.
Leading the girls to their 24th victory of the year were Decker with 12 kills, Powers with 11 kills, Focht and Burd with 9 kills each and Vivanco with 39 digs.
Last week, Kristen Decker was acknowledged as the PSAC co-Athlete of the week. In the week’s four victories, Decker notched 50 kills, 60 digs, six blocks and four aces. She also became the school leader for all time digs, already with 441 this season.
The accomplishments of the team itself were acknowledged as well last week with the unveiling of the Atlantic Region rankings, placing the Golden Rams in the seventh spot. Members of the PSAC hold nine of the top 10 spots, with the top four going to the Western conference, and the next three going to the East.
The top three teams from both the East and West divisions will go to the PSAC playoffs. As of now, the Rams hold the number three spot in the East.
The Rams hope to continue their success Tuesday night when the East division leader Shippensburg comes into town to play.
Ryan Frisco is a first-year student majoring in communications Studies. He can be reached at RF648257@wcupa.edu