CAMBRIDGE, MA- The Williams
College women's volleyball team (28-8) fell to archrival
Amherst 3-2 (24-30, 30-27, 30-23, 21-30, 15-11) Friday night in the
NCAA Tournament round of 32. In the
season's third meeting between the Ephs and Lord Jeffs, the
storyline was the same, as the team who jumped out to an early lead
in game five ended up celebrating.
Amherst rebounded from a loss in game one, and
jumped out to an 8-4 lead in game five en route to their punching a
ticket in the Sweet 16. Despite the loss, the
Ephs ended their season as NESCAC champs for the first time since
2004 and made huge strides in establishing Williams as a volleyball
powerhouse for years to come.
“I am so proud of this young
team,” said head coach Fran Vandermeer.
“We had an excellent season and there is only excitement for
next year”
On offense, the Eph attack was led by NESCAC
rookie of the year Nicole Ballon-Landa and first team all-NESCAC
selection sophomore Alisha Cahlan. Ballon-Landa
smashed a team high 18 kills, and had quite presence at the net
with a season-high 10 blocks (4 solo). Cahlan
tallied 14 kills to go along with 2 blocks, while first year Emily
Avis paced the offense with 59 assists to go along with 15 digs.
The Eph's two first team All-New England
(All-American honorable mention) selections, sophomores Chelsea
Kubal and Melissa Pun, also posted outstanding
numbers. Kubal recorded team-highs in both digs
(30) and service aces (2), while Pun posted a well rounded attack,
with 17 kills, 19 digs, and 4 blocks.
Rounding out the numbers for the Ephs, were junior captain Riki
McDermott (16 kills), sophomores Whitney Hitchcock (5 kills, 4
blocks, 1 service aces) and Andrea Scioscia (11 digs), and first
years Eleanor Levine (8 kills, 7 digs, 1 block) and Kate Anderson
(1 dig, 1 block).
Looking now to 2008, the Ephs return almost
everyone, but now must fill the void left by senior captain Liz
Hirschhorn. The Ephs will look to rising senior
McDermott and other players to provide the same kind of leadership
and devotion that Hirschhorn has given Williams volleyball for four
years.
On the season, a NESCAC Championship and the
emergence of a well-balanced attack on offense, defense, and at the
net, made 2007 a year to remember.
