The Seton Hall volleyball team have now lost five straight after being unable to take either game in their Saturday doubleheader, falling to both Virginia Commonwealth and Bowling Green by three sets to two, although in very different circumstances.
Seton Hall dropped their first two sets against VCU. The poor start made for a streak of 11 sets in a row that the Pirates had dropped over the past three matches. The Hall seemed as defeated as ever.
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Photo via SHU Athletics[/caption]
With the score tied at 23, however, Sharay Barnes put an end to the streak. Barnes leaped to the net and struck a kill deep into the heart of the VCU defense. The Pirates had life.
A VCU attack error afterward gave Seton Hall the set point, and they went on to defeat the Rams in the third set, 25-23.
The Pirates rode the momentum of their third set victory and came out strong in the fourth. In the set, Seton Hall was efficient in their attack, finishing with a .400 attack percentage. The combination of newfound energy and successful offense helped the visitors from South Orange to another set win, 25-19, evening the score with hosts VCU.
With the match even at two sets, Seton Hall looked to ride their momentum to victory in the fifth, and the Pirates indeed came out firing, opening up an early 5-1 lead on the Rams. All seemed well and the culmination of a two-set comeback seemed probable, but then VCU stormed back.
VCU went on a 12-3 run and never looked back. The Rams took the third set 15-9, and the match 3-2.
Looking to snap what had now become a four-match losing streak, the Pirates came out firing on all cylinders against the Bowling Green Falcons. The first set was completed in ideal fashion for Seton Hall, breaking through with a 25-15 victory.
The second set was also a victorious one for the Pirates, with them winning 26-24. Haylee Gasser was efficient throughout the whole match for the Pirates, finishing with 11 kills and a .478 hitting percentage. Also making an impact for the team was Sophia Coffey, who had 26 assists and 23 kills.
After the second set, it was all downhill for the Pirates. After being outclassed in the third set 25-17, they entered a hard-fought, pivotal fourth set desperate for a victory. The Falcons would not relent though and out-worked the Pirates to earn a 27-25 fourth set victory.
Needing a victory to end their losing skid, the Pirates fought to the bitter end, but eventually dropped the set 15-12, and the match 3-2. A crucial factor in the loss was the eight service aces provided by the Falcons, as well as the nine blocks they put up.
The Pirates now drop to 6-7 on the season and will begin Big East play on Friday, Sept. 22 against Marquette.
Dalton Allison can be reached at dalton.allison@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @daltonallison4.
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