Team Effort Lifts District of Columbia Over Virginia Union, 3-1

WASHINGTON, DC – Four different Firebird players reached double-figures in the kill column as the University of the District of Columbia volleyball team earned a 3-1 (25-20, 25-16, 23-25, 25-14) victory over non-conference foe Virginia Union on Sunday afternoon.

The Firebirds improved to 9-12 overall with the victory while Virginia Union, of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), fell to 4-23.

Senior Vanessa Garley (Marketing – Rio Rancho, NM/Rio Rancho HS) led the way offensively with a season-high 16 kills while hitting a team-best .342 and also adding a match-high three service aces. Juniors Tara Usko (History – Spring Creek, NV/Spring Creek HS) and Julia Lynch (Studio Art – Spring Creek, NV/Spring Creek HS) added 11 kills apiece and freshman Jazmin Rogers (Mechanical Engineering – Tucson, AZ/Palo Verde) pitched in with 10.

Defensively, senior libero Grace Perilli (Economics – Nashville, TN/Independence HS) came up big for District of Columbia with a match-high 23 digs. She was also helped by sophomore setter Kamene Rose, who notched her seventh double-double of the season with 37 assists and 10 digs.

In the first set, the Panthers led 17-13 after a Renesha Chiles service ace, but a Vanessa Garley kill ignited a 10-1 Firebird surge that included three kills apiece by Rogers and Usko to catapult District of Columbia into the lead, 23-18. The Firebirds went on to win the set comfortably, 25-20.

District of Columbia held a narrow 9-8 lead early on in set two before scoring 12 of the next 16 points to take a commanding, 22-12 advantage. Rogers closed out the set on a kill as the Firebirds took a 2-0 match lead with a 25-16 victory in the second set.

The Firebirds looked poised to complete the sweep as they soared to an early 6-0 lead only to have the Panthers claw their way back with an 11-4 run to pull ahead, 11-10. A see-saw match ensued, with the two teams trading points back-and-forth until the very end. A Panther attack error followed by a Lynch kill gave District of Columbia a 23-21 lead, but a Firebird attack error jumpstarted a 4-0 Virginia Union run to end the set. Kristin Madison put the finishing touches on that 4-0 run as the Panthers extended the match with a 25-23 win in set three.

Once again the Firebirds got off to a quick start, scoring the first four points of the fourth set and taking a 9-3 lead after an Usko kill. District of Columbia never allowed Virginia Union within five points as the Firebirds hit .393 (13 kills, 2 errors, 28 TA) as a team and won by their largest margin, 25-14 to complete the 3-1 match victory.

Next up, the Firebirds visit ECC foe Queens on Tuesday, October 23^rd at 6 p.m.