By Erica Quinones
Editor-in-Chief
The Shorewomen continued their three-match winning streak, boosting it to six consecutive victories on Sept. 22 and Sept. 25. The six-match streak is the most back-to-back victories claimed by the Shorewomen since 2017, when they began the season 8–0.
The Shorewomen prevailed in a non-Conference match against Goucher College’s Gophers in Towson, Md., winning 3–1 on Sept. 22.
After the Gophers took the first two points of the match, the Shorewomen returned with an 8–2 run that kept the momentum for the rest of the game.
A solo block by senior Jenna Daunoras brought the score to 16–9, a lead which the Shorewomen kept until the end when freshman Lindsay Saddic closed the first set at 25–18 with a kill.
The second set saw the Gophers prevailing over the Shorewomen.
A service ace widened the Gophers’ lead to 14–10, a gap which the Shorewomen fought to close. Junior Courtney Maxwell evened the score at 19 with a kill. Both teams kept the set tight, tying again at 23 until the Gophers took the final two points to claim the second set, 25–23.
The Shorewomen returned strong in the third set, netting an 8–1 lead. However, the Gophers did not let the Shorewomen take an easy win, hitting a 14–8 on the Shorewomen.
Maxwell and sophomores Angelina Schaber and Sylvia Johnson contributed kills to a 6–1 burst from the Shorewomen which gave them a 22–16 advantage. Saddic closed her second set of the night with a kill at 25–22.
The fourth and final set saw another intense game, the Shorewomen trailing 17–12 at the beginning. Rallying together, sophomore Jordan Fairchild netted back-to-back aces to even the score at 21, and Maxwell scored consecutive kills for a two-point lead. Sophomore Riley McHugh won the set and match for the Shorewomen with an unassisted kill.
Fairchild recorded a career-best seven aces, and Johnson hit a team-high with 17 digs.
The following Saturday, Sept. 25, saw the Shorewomen taking on Delaware Valley University and Immaculata University in Immaculata, Pa., where they swept both matches 3–0.
The first match of the day saw the Shorewomen facing off with Delaware Valley University’s Aggies.
Hitting a 3–3 tie, the Shorewomen burst through the set with a 9–3 run, clutching a 12–6 lead. While the Aggies evened the set at 17–17, Saddic netted a kill to help the Shorewomen push through to a 21–17 advantage.
The set ended after a hitting error, leaving the final score at 26–24.
The Shorewomen kept the momentum in the next set, taking a 10–5 lead. The Shorewomen never surrendered, as Johnson closed the frame at 25–21 with a kill.
The third set saw the Shorewomen slowing down, trailing at 11–10; however, a block by Daunoras helped the team claim the lead for good. Another kill by Saddic closed the match, ending at 25–17.
Senior Jensyn Hartzell recorded a season-best with 22 assists against the Aggies, while Daunoras claimed a career-best of five solo blocks. The Shorewomen hit a season-best of .327 for the match.
Later that day, the Shorewomen faced off with Immaculata University’s Mighty Macs, sweeping another victory.
The Shorewomen raced to a 13–1 advantage in the opening set, senior captain Lauren Zedlar claiming four service aces while Maxwell and Schaber totaled seven kills in the run.
Maxwell closed the set with a kill at 25–11.
The Mighty Macs started stronger in the second set, coming within 4–2 of the Shorewomen. However, WC hit another 6–1 spurt to boost their advantage to 10–3. The Shorewomen capped that run with four consecutive points with Fairchild serving.
The Shorewomen eventually closed the set with a kill from Schaber, winning the second match 25–12.
The third set was the tightest for the Shorewomen. The Mighty Macs evened the score at 4–4 in the final set after a service error, but freshman Colette Franck delivered a kill, which gave the Shorewomen a permanent lead.
The Mighty Macs began closing the advantage, coming within 9–7 of the Shorewomen, but WC shot off five consecutive points for a 14–7 lead.
The remainder of the match saw the Shorewomen keeping their advantage, with Daunoras closing the match at 25–21 with an ace.
Zedlar claimed a career-high against Immaculata University with six aces, and the Shorewomen recorded a season-high of 17 aces in the match.
“This six-game win streak has been really important to our team in boosting our confidence and helping our lineup get into a groove of working together,” Daunoras said.
The Shorewomen will face off with the in-Conference Ursinus College Bears and the non-Conference Gallaudet University Bisons in a home double-header at the Cain Athletic Center on Saturday, Oct. 2. “In the next few games, I hope we carry on with our winning streak and continue to grow as a unit,” Daunoras continued. “Also. that we use them as a way of preparing us for the important upcoming start to Conference games.”
Photo by Izze Rios