With only one week left in the regular season, the West Chester women’s volleyball team is well aware that their last two matches will be a pivotal factor in deciding what team they will face in the opening round of the playoffs. As of right now, they hold the No. 3 seed in the PSAC East. First-place Lock Haven (13-3 vs. conference opp.) and second-place Shippensburg (11-5 vs. conference opp.) are both miles ahead of the pack, and will undoubtedly finish as the top two seeds. However, Millersville, currently the No. 4 seed, has posted an almost identical conference record (6-10) as West Chester and serve as the most serious threat to the No. 3 seeded Rams.
This weekend’s action was a great indication of the high-level of confidence the girls seem to have going into every match. They were able to notch wins in both contests, the first of which coming against a solid Kutztown squad on Saturday in Hollinger Field House. After coming up short in a hard-fought battle with the Golden Bears earlier in the season, it was the Rams’ turn to come out on top.
The match began with Kutztown taking the first set (25-17) as West Chester was self-destructive on offense, ending the set with a .000 attacking percentage (7 kills, 7 errors). Luckily, the Rams got their mistakes out early and were able to find their stroke in the second set, posting a .279 attacking percentage for 25-21 victory. The next two sets finished in similar fashion (25-20, 25-16) with West Chester simply outgunning Kutztown in a highly offensive showcase.
Outside hitter Lexi Kegerise hammered the defense all day, leading the team with 15 kills, 43 total attempts, and two block assists. Julia O’Brien, who had 13 kills and three block assists in the match, was instrumental in sustaining such a high level of offensive pressure through the last three sets.
Freshman setters Tori Hutchinson and Mandy Flynn were called upon after sophomore setter Mary Faust went down with a sprained ankle early in the first set. Hutchinson posted a season high 27 assists and Flynn contributed with 20 of her own. Defensively, Morgan Litak (17 kills), Kegerise (15 kills), and Dana Markol (12) succeeded in shutting down a persistent Kutztown offense to secure the victory.
“It was a big win that should get us into the playoffs. We will finish either third or fourth but it looks like we are in!” said an enthusiastic Coach Bellaver after the game.
Sunday’s match with Cheyney proved to be not much of a test at all. Cheyney, winless all season (0-27), have had the majority of their troubles on offense. As a group, the Wolves have only registered 317 kills compared to the 957 kills by the opposition. In fact, Cheyney has committed more attacking errors (424) than kills through 27 games played. The Rams, who have already defeated the Wolves once this year, made it a short visit to Philadelphia, snatching the win in the minimum three sets (25-9, 25-13, 25-11).
Kelly Martin had an excellent day on offense finishing eight out of 10 attempts and committing only one error for a .700 attacking percentage. She also had a block solo, six assists, and a dig to cap to it off. Kegerise added 14 kills to her total on the season, and Allison Grammer chipped-in with another five. Tori Hutchinson led the Rams in assists for the second straight game (nine), in addition to six digs. Junior libero Tyler Sheafer dominated the back line, posting 12 digs and 8 service aces in the win.
With wins in both games this weekend, the Rams are now at 17-15 (7-10 vs. conference opponents) on the year, with just two regular season games left to play. In preparation for the important matches that lie ahead, Coach Kassie Bellaver continues to stress the importance of communication and energy on the court.
“They are probably the two most important factors of the game. If we communicate well and feed off of each other’s energy, that is when we play our best volleyball,” junior hitter Grammer said.
The girls will certainly need to play their best volleyball next weekend, as they are scheduled to close out the 2012 season with two home matches against Millersville and Shippensburg. Millersville will be looking to avenge the five-set defeat they suffered the last time the two sides met while reclaiming the third spot in the PSAC East in the process. Shippensburg on the other hand, would like nothing more than a disheartening victory over a West Chester team that could pose a serious threat to their postseason success.
Joshua Shapiro is a second-year student majoring in English and education. He can be reached at JS762110@wcupa.edu