The volleyball team swept SUNY-Geneseo 25-21, 25-20 and 25-19 Wednesday on Senior Night. It was the Bombers’ 11th win in their last 12 matches.
The first set was a back and forth battle with the score tied at 21 until the Bombers took four straight points to take the set. The Blue Knights almost tied the match midway through at 15-16 before the South Hill squad pulled away to take the second set by five. The Bombers got out to a 14-9 lead in the third set and maintained the advantage to finish out the match with a six-point margin in the final frame.
Senior Kate Thoene said the Bombers’ offense carried them at key points in the game.
It was the final home match for five Bomber seniors — outside hitters Chelsea Hayes, Jessica Hoeffner, and Liz Previte, setter Karin Edsall, and middle blocker Kate Thoene. BAssociate Athletic Director Mike Lindberg read out the seniors’ career accomplishments and Head Coach Janet Donovan presented each of them with flowers during a pre-game ceremony.
Hoeffner said it felt weird to be playing her last game in Ben Light Gymnasium.
“You’ve been here for three years and you’ve always seen the seniors go up and get their awards, but you never think its going to happen to you,” she said.
The team’s seniors combined to lead the Bombers in every statistical category in the match. Hayes led the team with 14 kills and Hoeffner had 14 digs to go along with 11 kills. Thoene, who ranks fourth all-time in the program’s history in blocks, had five blocks. Edsall dished out 34 assists.
Donovan said she was pleased with the five seniors performance.
“It was great to see them make the most of their last opportunity on their home court,” she said.
SUNY-Geneseo Head Coach Jen Salmon said the Blue and Gold were a more confident than they were a month ago.
“They didn’t let balls drop, they were picking everything up,” she said. “They looked more fluid and cohesive, and that made a big difference.
Despite their 11-1 record since a five-set loss to Cortland on October 5, the Bombers 4-3 Empire 8 Conference record will not be enough to qualify them for the conference tournament. The Bombers can still receive a bid to the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championship, which they won in 2009.
