Behind the dazzling play of senior Renee Arnold, the GW volleyball team mowed through visiting Fordham 3-0 Saturday night at the Smith Center. Despite its early dominance against the Rams, GW had trouble closing out each of the three games.
GW won 15-5, 15-9 and 15-7 over a Fordham team that Colonials head coach Jojit Coronel said he considers a good team despite its 2-8 Atlantic 10 record
The Colonials (16-4, 8-1 A-10) showed why they are on their way to the A-10 Tournament next month as they won their eighth straight conference match.
In the final game, GW scored 12 consecutive points and had the ball serving for the 13th point. Coronel pulled senior Jill Levey as the match was drawing to a close. But, suddenly GW became sloppy and had a scoring drought. In a short time, Fordham mounted a marginal comeback, cutting the lead in half.
Coronel then re-inserted Levey at 14-7. GW served twice at game-point before finally putting the finishing touches on Fordham. Fellow senior Tracee Brown (four kills) did not play in game three.
Coronel said the third-game lapse came from a lack of effort.
It’s just effort, Coronel said. I remind them daily at practice.
After the game Coronel said his team was not very sharp and he was only happy with some of the players’ effort.
You’re up (in points), you think you’re gonna bagel them, Coronel said. And the next thing you know they’re fighting back. And it’s like, `Don’t worry. It’s just a couple points.’
Early in the first game GW was strong at the net. Arnold finished with a match-high 17 kills, committing only one error in 34 total attacks. In the second game, Arnold continued to soar above the net and drill the ball into Fordham’s court.
Red-hot senior Julie Jahnke was the only other Colonial who managed double-figure kills. She had 14 kills along with four block assists, extending the GW record to 423.
Levey said part of the team’s strategy is intimidation.
When we get the ball, (our goal is) to make them pay for it, Levey said. We dig a ball, they’re gonna know it’s going back down.
The Rams managed only 41 kills in the game and the visitors committed 27 errors, nine more than GW.
The Colonials face George Mason on the road Tuesday and will travel to Massachusetts, Rhode Island and then Temple in their next three A-10 matches. The Colonials’ one conference loss came to Temple at the start of the season.
Everybody in the conference is rooting for us to beat Temple, Levey said. We’re all trying to figure out why no one can beat them. They’re not dominating anyone by any means. It’s just a matter of us putting it together.
