Volleyball knocks off favorite in conference tournament

by Alison Grande

Thursday November 29, 2007

The 2007 women’s volleyball team wrapped up their season in impressive fashion as the sixth seed in the Hudson Valley Women’s Athletic Conference (HVWAC) tournament.

Having finished the regular season 7-9 overall and 3-5 in the conference, the Gryphons were set to face #3 seeded St. Elizabeth’s College in the conference quarterfinals held at St. Elizabeth’s home court in New Jersey on Friday, Nov. 2.

Although St. Elizabeth’s had beaten SLC in four close matches back in September, all bets are off when it comes to postseason play. Sarah Lawrence had spent their entire season coming together as a team and improving their skills in each match, and their continued hard work showed in their play. Competing strongly and confidently, the Gryphons earned the upsets, beating St. Elizabeth’s three matches to two.

With the victory, the team earned a place in the conference semifinals held at the Campbell Sports Center the following morning. Playing on their home court during Parent’s Weekend, the team was cheered on by students, parents, and even one Sarah Lawrence volleyball alumna. Despite their efforts, number two-seeded Mt. St. Vincent proved to be an extremely tough competitor, ending the Gryphon’s season by winning three straight matches.

Although the team fell short of their ultimate goal, the team and coaches seemed pleased with the progress they made over the short season and how they performed in the last few days of competition. Even though the team will graduate senior and captain Kathryn Scheirer along with fellow seniors Molly McDonough and Morgan Asbridge, the team expects many core players on both their Varsity and Novice squads to return next season along with some players who were abroad this year, and all involved look forward to another successful season in 2008.