Entering Tuesday’s game against Rhode Island, Boston College volleyball looked to maintain the momentum that it had built up in its undefeated performance at the Iona Classic, where the team won nine straight sets. And that is exactly what the Eagles did, dominating the Rams in a swift, three-set sweep.
After a quick back and forth with Rhode Island (1–9) in the first set, the Eagles (7–3) built a lead and never gave it up. With its ability to control the game right from the start, BC eased into the remaining sets.
The set scores were 25–18, 25–15, and 25–12. The game also marks BC’s fifth straight win and fourth straight sweep.
“I think we just kind of settled into a rhythm,” BC head coach Jason Kennedy said. “Once we started to serve a little bit better we were able to compete at the level we wanted to and stay the aggressor for most of the night.”
On the score sheet, consistency was the name of the game for the Eagles’ offense. Grace Penn covered the floor as a setter, which allowed Julia Haggerty to command the front of the floor.
“Penn did a really good job stabilizing the offense,” Kennedy said of Penn’s team-high 13 assists. “Haggerty also hit seven of eight with no errors tonight and hit over an .800. I don’t think they had anybody that could compete with her physicality, so that was huge for us.”
BC quickly went ahead in the first set 6–5 and didn’t look back. Alayna Crabtree registered a powerful kill to solidify the set win.
The Eagles’ dominance continued in the second set, and BC led 20–10 at one point. Crabtree notched four kills in the set, and a Rhode Island service error handed BC its second set of the night.
The Rams’ lone lead in the third and final set was off a Halle Schroder service error which put Rhode Island up 1–0. BC, however, quickly took an 8–3 lead, with Sam Hoppes, Grace Milliken, and Audrey Ross spearheading kills. And while BC went on to win the set 25–12, overall, the University notched just a .214 hit percentage against the Rams.
“We’re going to have to be more efficient offensively,” Kennedy said, “I thought it took us too many swings to get enough kills today and we’re going to have to defend a little bit better.”
A 9–0 run propelled BC to its third-set victory.
The Eagles’ defense was an advantage all match, as Crabtree recorded nine digs and Anna Murphy notched 14. Murphy, BC’s libero, even added a kill for BC.
