The volleyball team concluded its season with a pair of losses, hosting American University in a 3-0 sweep on Friday and falling in a fierce 3-2 battle on the road against Holy Cross on Saturday.
Friday marked the Leopards’ (2-14 Patriot League, 4-22 overall) final home match of the year, about which senior outside hitter Carol Ulichney said she had “mixed emotions.”
“I think we’re really sad to be coming to a close, but I think we also are trying to end on a really positive note together and having fun and being very intentional these last few years,” Ulichney said.
In the match against American (15-1 Patriot League, 22-4 overall), the Leopards jumped out to a strong start in the first set with back-to-back points. The two teams fought back and forth throughout the set as the Leopards trailed by one, but the Eagles produced a 6-0 run to take a 14-7 lead before winning the set 25-18.
“I think we just lost some of our communication, which is really key for us,” Ulichney said. “We lost some of it, but we really made an intention to try and pick it up.”
In the second set, the Eagles continued their dominance with a 25-14 set win despite an aggressive effort from the Leopards. Sophomore setter Sophia Wilson recorded five of her 11 assists in the frame.
“Just being engaged, being ready to move on back on defense and hitters being ready to go through any ball,” sophomore setter Mackenzie Calhoun said about the backside’s mindset throughout the set.
Ulichney emphasized the importance of the “green light swing” on offense.
“Swing on anything you can and play smart,” she said.
The Leopards found themselves down 23-13 late in the third set, but senior middle blocker Abby Nicholson managed a kill to kick off a rally. With Wilson serving, the Maroon and White rode a 7-0 run to bring it within three. However, Wilson’s next serve hit the net, and the Eagles hung on to take a 25-20 win and the match sweep.
“We can’t let down our energy, especially during those long rallies,” Calhoun said.
Sunday’s match against Holy Cross (3-13 Patriot League, 9-23 overall) saw the Leopards take the lead in the first set and never look back, cruising to a 25-18 win.
The Crusaders held onto a 24-23 lead late in the second set, but back-to-back kills by Ulichney and freshman right-side hitter Jada Aksu pulled the Leopards on top with a 26-24 victory to take a 2-0 match lead.
From then on, however, Holy Cross found its footing, taking sets three and four by scores of 25-21 and 25-22, respectively, to force a fifth-set tiebreaker.
Both teams reached equilibrium in the fifth set, knotting up the score 10 different times. Tied at 14, the Crusaders killed on back-to-back rallies to seal the come-from-behind match victory.
Three players combined for 47 kills on Sunday to close out the season. Sophomore outside hitter Auma Mbeche-Odhiambo finished with 17, while Nicholson and Aksu had 16 and 14, respectively.
Looking forward to next year, Calhoun said the “biggest thing” this offseason is “learning to communicate well with the team.”
“It’s really important in games, but especially in the offseason as I’m preparing staying connected with my teammates,” she said.
Dan Sullivan ‘27 contributed reporting.