Six days and home court make a difference! After struggling in a 3-0 loss at Jefferson six days ago, the Chestnut Hill College women's volleyball returned home to face the Rams and reversed the tide, scoring a decisive 3-0 win over their area rival to earn their second conference win of the season.
The two teams battled in the first set with the Griffins holding on for a 26-24 win. Chestnut Hill dominated the second set with a 25-12 triumph. The third set saw ten ties as the Griffins pulled out a 25-20 win to complete the sweep.
The win was the first time in the history of the series (31 matches dating back to 2008) that the Griffins recorded a 3-0 sweep of the Rams. Chestnut Hill improves to 7-5 overall and 2-2 in Central Atlantic collegiate conference games. Jefferson falls to 5-10 overall and 1-2 in league play.
Rachel Mace led all players with 12 digs, while Erika Dubosky added 11 kills and a career-high eight aces. Her eight aces were the most by a CACC player in a single match this season.
Mia Caporellie recorded 36 assists to lead all players. The senior setter also had ten digs for her fourth consecutive double-double and sixth on the season.
Mace and Alexandra Crespin led the team with 12 digs apiece, with Mace recording her seventh double-double of the season. Angela April had three blocks while Cha'kya Johnson, Maya Hopson and Caporellie had two apiece.
The Rams led for much of the early part of the first set before the Griffins took their first lead at 12-11. Neither team pulled ahead by more than two and six ties followed before the Griffins took a 21-18 lead following a Mace kill and a Dubosky ace. Jefferson countered with a 6-3 run to tie the set at 24-24. Hopson then delivered a kill and Crespin an ace to give the Griffins a 26-24 win in the set and an early 1-0 lead.
The Griffins trailed 6-5 in the second set before exploding with a 7-1 run to take a 12-7 lead, forcing a Ram timeout. The Rams cut the lead to 13-9 but the Griffins followed with an 8-2 uprising to take a 21-11 lead. Following a Jefferson point, Chestnut Hill scored the final four points, capped by a Dubosky ace to win the set 25-12 and take a solid 2-0 lead in the match.
The final set saw ten ties and one lead change with the Griffins taking a 4-3 lead that they never relinquished, holding off attempts from Jefferson to retake the lead several times and limiting the Rams to just three sets of back-to-back points. The Rams tied the game for the final time at 19-19. The Griffins then scored five straight points to bring the contest to match point. A CHC attack error put off the inevitable, but Mace connected with a kill on the next rally to end the set 25-20 and give the Griffins the 3-0 sweep.
Morgan Martin and Morgan Ritchie led the Rams with nine kills apiece. Emily McKenna led the team with 12 digs.
The women's volleyball team returns to action on Saturday, October 5, 2024, when they travel to Felician University for a divisional crossover conference match against the Golden Falcons. First serve is set for 1:00 p.m.
