Coming into Sunday’s match against Georgia Tech volleyball, Boston College hoped to register its third conference win of the season. But the Eagles, outplayed by the visiting Yellow Jackets, lost the game, dropping three of four sets.
The first of these sets proved to be competitive, setting the tone for the rest of the contest. The Eagles held early leads over the Yellow Jackets, gaining 3-1 and 5-3 advantages, but the Tech team eventually edged ahead of its host.
As the result of an intense scoring spree, in which the visitors wore down the Eagles with powerful spikes and crafty ball placement, the Yellow Jackets were able to score seven points to the home team’s one—giving them a 10-6 lead. However, the BC squad regrouped and whittled down the Tech team’s advantage, tying the score at 15-15. For the remainder of the set, the two teams battled for supremacy, repeatedly exchanging the lead.
Senior outside hitter Katty Workman and junior defensive specialist Madisen Lydon kept the Eagles in contention until the set’s conclusion, with the former delivering some strong volleys and the latter deftly keeping the ball in play. But, ultimately, the Yellow Jackets prevailed—winning the first set, 28-26.
Though the BC squad lost the first set, the home team’s players entered the second set with a great deal of energy. On the back of Workman’s solid work, the Eagles gained an advantage over the Yellow Jackets from the outset.
At one point, the team even held a four-point advantage over its opponent, 15-11. But, just as in the first set, the Tech squad stymied the BC group’s offense and keep them defensively beleaguered—bringing the set to a tie, 16-16.
After the score’s leveling, and until the set’s finish, the two squads vied for the lead. Tech’s middle blocker Sydney Wilson performed particularly well during this passage of play, causing problems for BC along the net—and tallying three consecutive kills.
With her aid, the Yellow Jackets seized the second set from the Eagles’ grasp—foiling a last-ditch attempt by Workman and her teammates to win the set, 25-23.
Cognizant of the Yellow Jackets’ 2-0 lead and facing defeat, the Eagles redoubled their efforts in the third set.
Errors on the part of Tech, combined with strong blocking upfront and Workman’s vicious attacks, allowed BC to veer ahead of the visiting team. The home squad even secured six-point advantages during the set, once ahead by a score of 16-10 and later leading by a score of 21-15.
But, despite the fact that the Eagles steadily maintained the lead, the Yellow Jackets challenged them once again.
Sophomore outside hitter Ashley Askin led the Tech players in a rally against the BC squad, as the Yellow Jackets clambered to within two points of the Eagles, 24-22.
However, the excellent defensive play from freshman libero Devon Michaelis—who served as Lydon’s substitute at the position—and Workman’s continued successes prevented the rally from becoming a full-on rout. The Eagles ultimately won the third set, 25-23.
Though the home squad was able to win one set against its conference opponent, the Eagles were bested in the fourth set—and the contest—by the Yellow Jackets. The final set, much like the first three, was a contentious bout.
But the play of Wilson and junior outside hitter Teegan Van Gunst, who menaced BC along the net, pushed the visiting team past its host.
Stifling Workman, whose attacking had been phenomenal through the match, the Yellow Jackets won the set by five points, 25-20.
While the result was not ideal for the BC team and its fans, certain elements of the match were positive. First and foremost, Workman continued to exhibit her offensive prowess.
On the season, the senior hitter has 327 kills—having struck 24 of them on Sunday. Additionally, sophomore outside hitter Sol Calvete had a good showing. She registered 16.5 points, with 14 kills.
It is also noteworthy that the Eagles did come away with one win this past weekend: On Friday, at the Power Gym, the BC squad swept Clemson’s team, 3-0.
Over the course of the match, the Eagles collected 41 kills and 39 assists—topping the Tigers’ numbers in these categories, 27 and 26, by respectable margins. In that game, Workman and Calvete tallied 11 kills apiece, and freshman setter Camille Oemcke notched 18 assists in the winning effort.
Featured Image by Drew Hoo / Heights Editor
