"Awards Show Countdown": Women's Volleyball
"Awards Show Countdown" is a Wells College Athletics feature that reviews a memorable moment from each team while counting down to showtime. With 11 days remaining until the virtual online Express Awards Show, let's take a look at a moment from the women's volleyball team's 2019 season.
The Wells College women's volleyball team found itself in a dogfight in late October and early November for a playoff spot. The team played its best down the stretch by winning six of its last seven matches of the season. Inclusive of those six wins were a pair of three-match win streaks with the first of the two win streaks including victories over Lancaster Bible, Oswego and Penn College, respectively.
Of those first three wins, perhaps the Oswego victory resonated as a staple win for the Express. What made this game memorable was it produced back-to-back double rallies for wins and set the tone for those final six victories.
The Express had just rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits against Lancaster Bible before winning 3-2 to begin the first of those two three-match win streaks, but then traveled to Oswego only to trail twice again by those same 1-0 and 2-1 margins before replicating another 3-2 come-from-behind win in back-to-back matches.
The Lakers entered the contest with the third-best overall SUNYAC record based on win percentage at 18-7 and were looking to close out the Express in the fourth set with a 2-1 lead by building a pair of four-point fourth-set leads. Oswego looked in control at 14-11, but Wells responded with the next five points to go ahead at 15-14. The Lakers quickly took back the lead before both teams battled with equal scores at points 17, 18, 19 and 20. The Express dug deep and got the next three for a 23-20 lead and finished the fourth set with two of the last four points to even the match at 2-2 with a 25-22 fourth-set victory.
In the fifth and deciding set, Wells emerged as the first team to break another string of tie scores with a two-point lead at 11-9. Oswego would get as close as 11-10 before Wells closed out the comeback with four of the last five points to take the match at 3-2 with a 15-11 fifth-set win.
Jackie Allen led the Express attack with 22 kills and added 18 digs with a pair of blocks. Jazzmyne Williams also had a pair of blocks and added 21 kills as the tandem combined for 43 kills on the night.
Gabby Rivera finished with a team-high 20 digs with a pair of aces and assists, while Jordan Stoops helped the attack with 33 assists and added 15 digs. Maritza Scharoun led the team in blocks with four. Lorissa Parks registered 16 assists for Wells while Nanako Otsuka recorded six kills and a pair of aces.
