Matt Cain – Contributor
The Owls took on Adelphi University in a tight, competitive volleyball match. Despite having a hard-fought and competitive match, the Owls got swept 3-0 in the sets.
The Owls grew a lead in each set, but Adelphi was too powerful and came back to win the match. Head Coach Lisa Barbaro was not there, but the assistant coaches took over and did a great job.
The team was also without their star player, middle blocker Taylor Jones. That still did not stop the Owls from competing and leaving it all out on the floor. They were led by outside hitter Sara Enright, as she would play with the freshmen and sophomores. Even though the Owls came out with a loss, the younger players stepped up and held their own.
Freshman outside hitter Ahunna James had a tremendous game, as she racked up a season-high of nine kills along with two blocks and seven digs.
“We did really well today, especially with having our seniors out,” James said.
It was an all-around great game even with the loss. Lily Miller, a junior setter, had a game-leading 25 assists. Other contributions came from freshman right-side hitter, Carissa Michel. Michel ended the game with 11 kills and 10 digs.
This was an NE10 matchup, meaning the Owls fell to 1-4 in the conference and 11-11 on the season. The owls were down in almost all of the sets, but they kept the sets close. The only negative about these games was that they found themselves coming from behind late in the sets.
Assistant Coaches Eddie Castano and Abigail Epstein took over for the head coach since she was out. The coaches’ game plan was simple: go out, play hard, and have fun.
“I feel like we played great. This was a great improvement from the last couple of weeks,” Epstein said.
Being that this was a younger Owls team, the team did just what they wanted to do: have fun! The energy and chemistry on the floor between the younger Owls were unmatched.
To keep it competitive, the Owls were in the right spots at the right times, resulting in them keeping a close game the whole way through.
“Nothing surprised us with Adelphi. We knew we had to play together and as a team,” Epstein said.
Enright was very pleased with the underclassmen as well. Enright had a good game herself but was more focused on the underclassmen and glad they had made it a competitive game.
“I’m really excited for the underclassmen we have. This team is really coming together,” Enright said.
With this loss, the Owls fell to 8-3 at home. The next game is away, and they hope to stop their four-game losing streak. The future looks very bright for these young standouts.
“It’s more important to have fun. It’s about winning, but at the end of the day, we’re a team, and we need to be connected off the court to be better on the court,” Enright said.
