This post was written by Hatchet contributing sports editor Mark Eisenhauer.
Volleyball gave Atlantic 10 newcomer Davidson a harsh welcome to the conference, defeating the Wildcats in straight sets (25-18, 25-23, 25-13) in the first meeting between the teams as league foes.
Although Davidson was able to keep the match close early on, the Colonials’ relentless offensive firepower overwhelmed the Wildcats down the stretch. The win is the team’s 10th straight-set victory of the season.
“We started off by putting ourselves in another hole, the mental focus,” head coach Amanda Ault said. “But then we started to get into our rhythm and really took over from there.”
Ault was forced to use a timeout early in the first set after Davidson (3-13, 1-5) went up 10-4. Following the stoppage, the Wildcats committed eight errors, while GW (14-5, 5-1) found its stride and took the set with relative ease.
The Colonials offense was a dominant presence throughout the match which, led by senior outside hitter Kelsey Newman and sophomore middle blocker Chidima Osuchukwu, combined for a total of 55 kills and a .363 hitting percentage – compared to Davidson’s 31 kills and .167 percentage. Junior setter Jordan Timmer fed her teammates all nights on the pin, amassing 40 assists in the three-set match.
Davidson’s offense responded in the second set, and almost stole the set from GW. The Wildcats out-hit the Colonials .433 to .400, but GW held strong. Newman put away the set with one of her match-high 19 kills on the night, which boosted her .429 hitting percentage, another match high.
“In set two, we really let their outside center do whatever they wanted,” Ault said. “In the third set, we went back out and really focused on trying to stop them and to slow them down.”
Davidson mustered just five kills while committing five errors in the third set, totaling a .000 hitting percentage. Newman hit the match-winning kill that propelled her team to its fifth conference victory of the season.
Osuchukwu, who was named A-10 Player of the Week last Monday, totaled 16 kills and a .387 hitting percentage on the match, while junior libero Maddy Doyle, who received Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors earlier this week, totaled 13 digs
Both Osuchukwu and Doyle also tallied a service ace in the match, contributing to the team’s total of four aces on the night – compared to GW’s combined total of one in its last two matches prior to Friday. Ault said the improvements of the serving game reflect the team’s “aggressive” plan that attacks the opposition’s backline.
Despite the straight-set win, the Colonials are still trying to hone in their focus to make it through the rest of their five-game road swing, which features key matchups with the likes of Duquesne and Virginia Commonwealth.
“On the road, we have to be on top of our game,” Ault said. “It’s going to be tough because everyone feels more comfortable playing at home, but we just have to make sure that we are on top of the things we can control.”
The Colonials travel to Richmond, Va. on Sunday to take on VCU.
