Team Effort Leads to Gritty, 3-2 Firebirds Volleyball Win Over Defending ECC Champion Dowling

WASHINGTON, DC  –  The University of the District of Columbia volleyball team twice came back from down a set to overtake the reigning East Coast Conference champion, Dowling, 3-2 in front of an enthusiastic crowd at UDC Gym on Thursday night.

The Firebirds improved to 6-7 overall and 2-2 in ECC play while the Golden Lions fell to 9-5 overall and 0-3 in the conference.

Sophomore Ariana Scott (Business – Lakewood, CA/Mayfair HS) blasted a career-high 14 kills while hitting .355 to lead the Firebirds offensively. Freshman Jazmin Rogers (Mechanical Engineering – Tucson, AZ/Palo Verde HS) notched her second double-double of the season with 10 kills and 11 digs, and junior Julia Lynch (Art – Spring Creek, NV/Spring Creek HS) contributed with nine kills and seven digs. Also, Kamene Rose tied her career high with 41 assists.

The Firebirds dominated the middle of the court led by junior Tara Usko (History – Spring Creek, NV/Spring Creek HS) and senior Vanessa Garley (Business Management – Rio Rancho, NM/Rio Rancho HS). Usko (five kills, 15 digs) had seven blocks (three solo) while Garley (eight kills, six digs) recorded four (three solo).

"Offensively Ariana really found her stride tonight and put the points up when we needed them," head coach Sheila Weaver said. "Vanessa and Tara helped us as we combined for 16 blocks as a team to shut down the middle. Overall, this was the best we've played all season, and I think it shows us we have the capability to be a contender in this league if we can continue to play together."

The Golden Lions were led offensively by Bethany Shepard's match-high 24 kills (.340 hitting pct.)  and Cassy Kelly's 14 kills (.290 hitting pct.). Dowling out-hit District of Columbia .219 to .146 and held a 9-4 edge in service aces but was done in by the 16 blocks it surrendered.

In the first set, the Golden Lions broke away from a 10-10 deadlock (the eighth and final tie of the set) as they outscored the Firebirds 15-4 the rest of the way to earn a 25-14 set one victory. Dowling hit a scorching .448 pct. (14 kills, 1 error, 29 TA) en-route to the comfortable set win.

Carrying the momentum from its first set win, Dowling raced out to a 5-1 advantage on a kill by Kelly, but right back came District of Columbia with a 5-1 run of its own to even the match at six apiece. Garley had a kill and a service ace during that stretch. Later with the score knotted at seven, the Golden Lions used two Kayla Morgan service aces  and two Shepard kills to as part of a 6-0 run to go up 13-7. With Dowling controlling its largest lead of the set, 17-10, the Firebirds fought back to score 10 of the next 13 points and tie the score at 20-all thanks to a block by Usko and Rogers. The Firebirds would go on to win the set 25-23 on a kill by Lynch and even the match score at 1-1.

The third set was contested early on, but Dowling pulled away from a narrow 13-11 lead with a 6-1 run to move in front, 19-12, and the Lions never looked back. They would end the set on a 6-0 run for a decisive, 25-16 victory and re-claim the match lead, 2-1.

Facing their third straight defeat in the face, the Firebirds rallied to take a an early 8-4 advantage in the fourth set, only to surrender to a 10-3 Dowling run that pushed the visitors ahead, 14-11. Two kills by Lynch would help the Firebirds force a 15-all tie, and later a kill by Scott would knot the score at 18. Ultimately, the Firebirds would earn a 25-22 victory after two consecutive attack errors by Dowling, and they would force a fifth and decisive last set.

The Golden Lions took an early 4-2 lead on a kill by Elizabeth Gorman, but Scott's kill ignited a 6-0 Firebirds surge that included a Garley service ace and three Dowling attack errors which led to an 8-4 lead for District of Columbia. After two straight Dowling kills closed the gap to two, Scott answered for the Firebirds with two consecutive kills of her own, and the lead was back up to four, 10-6. Another Scott kill and a Lion attack error resulted in the host's largest lead of the set, 12-7, but a 4-1 Lion rally brought the visitors within two, 13-11 after two consecutive kills by Shephard. Following a District of Columbia timeout, Garley blasted a kill to make it 14-11, and the match would come to an end on a Dowling attack error as the Firebirds won the set, 15-11 and claimed a 3-2 match victory. District of Columbia hit .368 (8 kills, 1 error, 19 TA) as a team in the final set and held Dowling to just .091 hitting (8 kills, 6 errors, 22 TA)

The Firebirds are off until Tuesday, October 2^nd when they will visit ECC foe Molloy at 6 p.m.