The GW women’s volleyball team didn’t come up with any surprises this weekend on a road trip through Ohio.
The Colonial women (6-4) lost to perennial league power Dayton before earning their first Atlantic 10 victory of 1998 with a five-game win over Xavier a day later.
“I am definitely pleased overall,” GW head coach Susie Homan said. “The minimum is you have to split on the road and win at home.”
GW returns home Wednesday for a match against Fordham at 5 p.m.
GW 3, Xavier 2
GW recovered from a 2-1 deficit to earn a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Xavier at Schmidt Fieldhouse Saturday.
The Colonial women were two points away from losing the match as they fell behind 13-8 in the fourth game but came back with a determined effort, Homan said.
“We played relentless defense and we kept scoring points,” she said. “And Tai (Bethune) had some big-time blocks.”
The Colonial women went on an 8-1 run to win the game 16-14 before earning the match win with a 15-12 victory in the fifth. GW recorded a .296 hitting percentage in the final game.
Bethune led five Colonial women in double figures for kills with 17 to go along with her team-high seven blocks. Gabriela Mojska added 14 kills for GW and Renee Arnold chipped in with 13.
GW started the match with a 15-8 victory over Xavier (2-6), but faltered in the next two. Xavier shut down the Colonial women with a 15-2 win in the second game and took a 2-1 lead in games with a 15-12 victory in the third. GW won despite a .212 match hitting percentage posted by the Musketeers.
“The long matches help them grow,” Homan said. “It was a big growth spurt for them.”
Dayton 3, GW 1
The Colonial women started slowly and never fully recovered in losing 3-1 to Dayton Friday at Frericks Center.
The Flyers held GW to just three points in the opening game and extended their lead with a 15-12 victory in the second.
“We got out of the blocks slow against Dayton,” Homan said. “Our confidence was shaken (in the loss) against Georgetown.”
The Colonial women came back to win the third game 15-13, but Dayton (6-3) answered with a 17-15 win to finish off the match.
Sophomore Suzana Manole led GW with 15 kills and 21 digs and also recorded 22 assists. Sophomore setter Jill Levey – in addition to her 32 assists – provided some offense for the Colonial women with 11 kills and a .357 hitting percentage.
GW had trouble containing Dayton’s big hitters as Sierra Ashley recorded 23 kills and Karen Maciaga added 21 kills.
