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WILLIAMSTOWN, MA- The Williams College women's volleyball team
(1-0) took advantage of a 16-3 run midway through the second game
en route to a decisive 3-0 victory over #25 Coast Guard, 30-26,
30-22, 30-28. Coming off an impressive 26-3 season, which saw
them make it all the way to the NCAA Elite Eight, Coast Guard could
not find an answer for the Ephs aggressive offensive attack in both
team's season opener.
"A win over Coast Guard, who won our region last year, is a
good start for this team," said head coach Fran Vandermeer.
"We're young, physically talented, and a really hard working
bunch. I think we have something to work with here."
Led last year by a talented bunch of first years, the Ephs got
huge performances from the class of '10 in the opener.
Melissa Pun, the 2006 NESCAC rookie of the year, collected 12 digs
and 28 assists, and was impressive in her first major action at
setter. Chelsea Kubal, a 2006 AVCA All-Region selection,
tallied a team high 24 digs. Defensive specialist Andrea Scioscia
added 6 digs of her own, while Whitney Hitchcock recorded 7 kills
and 2 solo blocks.
Making their first appearances as team captains, senior Liz
Hirschhorn (6 digs) and junior Riki McDermott (9 digs) gave the
Ephs impressive performances. This season's first year class
also made some significant contributions in their college
debuts. Kate Anderson smashed a team-high 13 kills, while
Nicole Ballon-Landa added 5 kills and 2 aces. Eleanor Levine
posted 4 digs to round out the impressive numbers for
Williams.
The Ephs now have a quick turn around tomorrow, with two tough
matches at Wellesley College. The action begins at 1 PM
against NESCAC rival Wesleyan, and concludes at 3:00 PM with a
match against host Wellesley.
"This is the toughest opening weekend we've had in five years,"
said Vandermeer. "This will definitely be a good test for
us."
