Firebirds Volleyball Late Rally Falls Short in 3-1 Loss to ECC-Leader Bridgeport

WASHINGTON, DC – After falling behind two sets to one, the University of the District of Columbia volleyball team rallied for a narrow, 25-23 third set win only to fall, 25-16 in the fourth set and lose the match by a final of 3-1 to East Coast Conference leader, Bridgeport on Saturday afternoon.

The Firebirds have now lost four of their last five as they fell to 7-11 overall and 2-6 in league play. Bridgeport, meanwhile snapped a two-match losing streak as the Purple Knights improved to 13-4 overall and 6-1 in the ECC to stay atop the league standings.

Junior Tara Usko (History – Spring Creek, NV/Spring Creek HS) led the Firebirds with her first double-double of the season which included a team-high 12 kills (.455 hitting) and 10 digs. Senior Vanessa Garley (Marketing – Rio Rancho, NM/Rio Rancho HS) also pitched in with 10 kills, two service aces and seven digs.

Bridgeport was led offensively by Biljana Savic (match-high 16 kills) and Sabrina Simas (10 kills). Defensively, Savic had a match-high 21 digs, while Taylor McBeth and Fernanda Silva pitched in with 17 and 13, respectively.

Freshman Jazmin Rogers (Mechanical Engineering – Tucson, AZ/Palo Verde HS) helped keep the Firebirds close with two early kills in the first set, the second of which forcing the fifth tie of the set at 8-all. However, the Purple Knights went on a 7-2 charge to pull ahead, 17-11 on a kill by Simas. District of Columbia rallied, down 18-12 to pull within two (18-16) after three straight Bridgeport attack errors and a service ace by sophomore Ariana Scott (Business – Lakewood, CA/Mayfair HS), but the Purple Knights would ultimately score five of the final six points to win the first set, 25-19.

Much like the first set, the next set featured a tight contest early on that featured five ties, the last of which coming on a kill by the Firebirds' junior Julia Lynch (Art – Spring Creek, NV/Spring Creek HS) to even the score at 8-apiece. But it was downhill for District of Columbia from there as the Purple Knights marched out to an 8-2 run and took a 16-10 advantage. Once again the Firebirds mounted a comeback when trailing 18-12, scoring four straight points to pull within two, 18-16. The Firebirds clawed their way back within two twice more (19-17, 20-18) but Bridgeport closed out a 25-19 set two win with a 3-0 run, culminating in a kill by Darsel Springer.

In set three, sophomore Kamene Rose (Psychology – Chula Vista, CA/Hilltop HS) surprised UB with a kill from her setter position to give District of Columbia an early 3-2 lead, but the Purple Knights scored the next three points to move in front, 5-3. With the score knotted at 12-apiece, Bridgeport used a 4-0 run to take the largest lead of the set, 16-12. The Firebirds responded though, scoring eight of the next 11 points to take their first lead (20-19) since their 3-2 advantage. Back came Bridgeport with three consecutive points to take a 22-20 lead and force a District of Columbia timeout. Out of the timeout, a Bridgeport bad set and a combined block by Garley and Scott led to a 22-22 tie. The two teams traded points once more before the Firebirds finished off the set with a Garley service ace and Usko kill for a thrilling, 25-23 set four win to extend match play.

Usko gave the Firebirds an early 8-5 lead in set four, but a 5-0 Purple Knights run gave Bridgeport a 10-8 lead, and the visitors would never trail again. District of Columbia fought back to force a 13-all tie after two straight service aces by Lynch, but Bridgeport answered with a 7-0 run to put the match out of reach at 20-13. The Purple Knights went on to win by the largest margin of the set, 25-16.

Next up, the Firebirds will host ECC foe Mercy on Tuesday, October 16^th at 7 p.m.