Entering this season, the New York University Women's Volleyball Team had lost nine-straight matches against the University of Chicago and 14-straight to Washington University in St. Louis. The program's last victories against both University Athletic Association (UAA) rivals came in 2010. That all changed today, September 18, as the Violets defeated Chicago in five sets (25-18, 25-17, 19-25, 18-25, 20-18) and Washington in four (25-18, 14-25, 25-19, 25-17) at UAA Round Robin #1 in Chicago, IL.
Both Chicago (#13) and Washington (#19) are ranked among the top-20 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division III Poll.
"This is a culmination of all the hard work over the years that I've been here with the team," said Head Coach Andrew Brown. "From the first day I told them that they have the potential to be the top team, not only on the east coast, but also within the UAA and for academics. They believe this and have invested a lot into the process."
The Violets (8-0, 2-0 UAA) earned a dramatic, five-set victory over the Maroons to start the day.
NYU never trailed in set one, winning the first five points of the match, and went on to capture a 25-19 victory. The Violets came back from an early deficit in the second and used seven unanswered points — with Lauren Robinson (Honolulu, HI/Punahou School) serving — for a 14-9 edge which ultimately led to a 25-17 triumph in set two.
The Violets looked poised for a sweep, establishing an 11-5 advantage in the third after a pair of Chicago service errors. However, the Maroons (6-3, 1-1 UAA) persevered, using a quick 9-3 spurt to tie the frame at 14. Chicago later led by just one — 18-17 — but a pair of kills each from Ellie Alden and Ella Mao fueled a 7-2 set-clinching run and 25-19 Maroon victory.
Chicago kept it going in the fourth, establishing a 12-5 advantage and holding off multiple NYU rallies as the Violets never led after the third point. Another kill from Mao secured a 25-18 set four win for the Maroons.
Neither side seemed able to gain an edge in the fifth, with six lead changes and five ties occurring before Olivia Lewandowski (San Diego, CA/Del Norte) put down a kill to spoil the Maroons' match point and tie the score at 14. Each team traded points in the tiebreaker until Haley Holz (Palatine, IL/Palatine) delivered back-to-back kills to put Chicago away and earn a thrilling, 20-18, set victory.
Holz compiled a match-high 19 kills (7 digs, 3 aces), while Ella Spaethling (Larkspur, CA/Redwood) (11 kills), Ella Weider (Los Gatos, CA/Los Gatos) (10 kills, 4 block-assists), Abby Ausmus (San Diego, CA/La Jolla Country Day School) (8 kills, 6 block-assists), and Taylor Odum (Houston, TX/Memorial) (8 kills, .538) rounded out the offensive attack.
Nicole Dao (Bethesda, MD/The Academy of Holy Cross) (26 assists, 10 digs) and Dominique Drust (Coto de Caza, CA/Santa Margarita Catholic) (24 assists, 11 digs) notched double-doubles in the marathon win, while Lindsey Hirano (South Pasadena, CA/South Pasadena) added 22 digs and Robinson pitched in 14 of her own to aid the defense.
"The tables have completely turned, especially for us," said Ausmus. "The returners were emotional after the win against Chicago because it was such a huge moment that we've wanted for so long. We could not have asked for a better day and we really made a statement to the conference."
Momentum carried into the matchup with Washington, as the Violets established a 12-6 advantage in the first after a Hirano service ace. NYU kept the Bears (7-3, 1-1 UAA) at bay and Ausmus capped off the frame with a kill for the final point and a 25-18 win. Washington bounced back in the second, riding three early aces from Michaela Bach for a 13-5 lead and held on for a 25-14 finish to tie things at one set each.
The third set was knotted at 10-10, but the Violets fought their way to a 7-2 run, highlighted by a block from Holz and Odum. NYU then scored four of the final five points to win the third and put themselves on the verge of victory.
With the fourth tied at 14 and the Violets looking to avoid another five-setter, Weider slammed a kill to ignite five unanswered NYU points, giving them a 19-14 edge. That was all it took, as Holz and Spaethling delivered two kills each for a 4-0 run to close out the match and keep NYU undefeated.
Holz led the way once again versus the Bears, totaling 15 kills (.295), eight digs, two aces and two block assists. Ausmus, Spaethling and Weider all chipped in nine kills, while Drust and Dao (10 digs) combined for 43 assists. Hirano brought up a match-high 24 digs on the back line.
"For the team, it shows how hard we've been working and that we have a bright future ahead," said Holz. "We're all communicating really well, being aggressive and we've all got each other's backs. We're very positive on the court."
The Violets are off to their best start since 2004 when the team rattled off 27-straight victories to start the season and advanced to the NCAA Division III Championship Semifinal.
"It's a validation of the team's hard work and how they can continue to invest even more," Brown added.
NYU concludes UAA Round Robin #1 tomorrow, September 19, against the University of Rochester. First set is set for 11:00 am.
