Four sets, all decided by three points or less. A huge comeback win in the match-deciding fourth set. This description paints an accurate picture of ODU volleyball’s match against William & Mary on Tuesday, Aug. 29. It also might have given more than a few fans high blood pressure for a period.
The Lady Monarchs and Tribe were evenly matched, which was evident right out of the gate in the first set. For both sides hustle and hard work were going to be the deciding factors, and tensions accordingly ran high.
“The grit and the resilience. We were down, our backs were against the wall and the people we needed to start stepping up, they really did.” Chao stated when asked about what he enjoyed most about his side that evening.
The Lady Monarchs leaped to an early match lead, taking the first set 25-22. ODU and W&M were neck and neck throughout the majority of the set before being tied at 22 and the Lady Monarchs rattled off three straight points to seal the set win. In comparison to past matches, ODU’s blocking had significantly improved. The Lady Monarchs were able to tally six blocks versus the Tribe’s two blocks in the first set, giving some needed point boost to the offense, which was slow to start.
Unfortunately, the second set did not go in ODU’s favor. They found themselves trailing behind for most of the set. The Lady Monarchs were able to tie the set at 24, but fell victim to the Tribe 26-24.
At this point, ODU was tied in the match 1-1, but it was obvious that they were leaving things to be desired.
The third set put the Lady Monarchs in a similar spot. However, ODU was able to tie the set at 21 thanks to sophomore Bailey Burgess and redshirt sophomore Leanne Lowery, who both served as critical substitutes and aided blocks.
The Lady Monarchs were able to score 23-21, forcing W&M to use their second timeout. Afterward, Bryanna Jones was able to continue her reign as a freshman with a set-sealing kill.
The fourth and final set of the evening was an emotional rollercoaster for everyone involved. ODU found itself truly reeling early on. With the score 9-3, head coach Chao was forced to use his first timeout. Things would get worse before they got better for ODU. The team trailed by eight before making a comeback, tying the match at 20.
Following this, junior Myah Conway took over. The Southpaw outside hitter smashed the match-winning kill, tallying five out of ten of ODU’s final points in the fourth set on the way to a 17-kill night. A crowd uproar ensued after an unsuccessful challenge by the Tribe on the final play The Lady Monarchs took the match 3-1.
“Everyone knows we’re going to lean on her,” head coach Fred Chao said regarding Conway’s performance. “When we really needed her, and we really needed to lean on her, she came through. She kept swinging and then she was getting blocks.”
On the offensive side, the Conway and Jones duo tallied double-digit kills at 17 and 14 respectively. On the defensive side, Burgess and Lowery participated in 8 blocks and were perfect in attempted and executed blocks. In addition, freshman libero Kate Kilpatrick and senior setter Teresa Atliano continued their respective campaigns with consistency. Kilpatrick tallied 16 digs for the second time, marking double digits in three matches. Atliano tallied a team-leading 41 assists, along with 11 digs, giving her a double-double for the match.
This midweek home win comes at a convenient time for the Lady Monarchs, who embark on a 10-game road trip all over the mid-Atlantic before returning to Norfolk on Sept. 19 to host in-state talent Liberty. Following this, Sun Belt play will commence on the road in Huntington, West Virginia, against Marshall on Sept. 21 and 22.
