District of Columbia Succumbs to Dowling in Three Sets

OAKDALE, NY – The University of the District of Columbia volleyball team had its two-match win streak snapped as the Firebirds fell, 3-0 at Dowling in East Coast Conference action on Thursday night. Dowling evened the season series with a clean sweep: 25-16, 25-11 and 25-21.

With the loss, District of Columbia fell to 10-13 overall and 4-8 in league play. Dowling, meanwhile, improved to 16-11 overall and 5-6 in the ECC.

Sophomore Ariana Scott (Business – Lakewood, CA/Mayfair HS) led the Firebirds offensively with eight kills while junior Tara Usko (History – Spring Creek, NV/Spring Creek HS) added six kills and two blocks. Sophomore Amber Walls (Biology – Temple Hills, MD/Surrattsville HS) and junior Julia Lynch (Studio Art – Spring Creek, NV/Spring Creek HS) each added four kills as well.

Dowling was led offensively by Bethany Shepard (15 kills, .444 hitting) and Kiarra Majors (10 kills, .450 hitting) while Morgan Mutranowski came up with a match-high 16 digs, defensively. Elizabeth Gorman was a huge force in the middle with seven blocks (one solo).

The Firebirds earned the first point of the match on a Dowling attack error, but a Majors kill started a 4-0 Lions charge, and they would never look back. Led by three kills apiece by Lynch and Usko, the Firebirds clawed their way back within two three separate times, but could never get any closer than that. Dowling closed out the set on a 6-0 run to win 25-16 and take a 1-0 match lead.

The Lions pounced early in set two, taking a 3-1 lead after a kill by Majors, but the Firebirds responded with three straight points and moved in front, 4-3 on a kill by Usko. That would be their last lead of the set though as Dowling took control with a 9-2 rally and took a 12-6 lead. A kill by Walls brought the Firebirds within five (14-9), but Dowling closed out the set on an 11-2 surge to win by its largest margin, 25-11. The Firebirds struggled to -.241 hitting on just four kills and 11 errors while Dowling hit .346 with 13 kills and four errors to take a 2-0 match lead.

In set three, Walls, Scott and Lynch blasted a kill apiece to help the Firebirds to an early 6-3 lead, but Dowling answered back with an 8-2 run to pull in front, 11-8 after a kill by Elizabeth Gorman. The Firebirds continued to battle though, scoring the next three consecutive points to force an 11-all tie and then coming back from one-point deficits to force three more ties. Trailing 15-14, District of Columbia took advantage of four Dowling errors and a kill by Usko to take a 20-16 advantage, but the Lions came roaring back to score the next eight straight points as part of a 9-1 run to close out the set, 25-21.

Next up, the Firebirds will host their annual "Dig Pink" event on Tuesday, October 30^th as they play ECC foe Molloy at 7 p.m.