Keep in mind, grueling in the Firedog sense does not mean bad, or even mediocre. In fact, the 3-1 weekend ride solidified the Amherst record at 22-4, with the only loss of the weekend coming off a five-game duel with regional power and perennial NCAA contender Wellesley College.
The problem with the weekend is deeper than that. The Firedogs have begun to exhibit the wear and tear that a heavy schedule has wrought, with several injuries taking their toll on the team. Also, they have begun to show chinks in the armor that helped them dominate on the court.
"I think our team did really well this weekend, even though there were a few injuries," Co-captain Meredith DeMeules said. As the dust from the weekend settles, the Firedogs seem proud that the depth of their suddenly reduced team-especially given the high quality of their opponents-was tested and passed with flying colors. "We really pulled together and played well against Wellesley, and then beating Springfield, who had already beaten Wellesley, the next day," said DeMeules.
On the weekend, several members of the squad performed well, even in positions they weren't accustomed to. With injuries sidelining middle blockers Natalie Brooks '04 and Lauren Wong '04, hitters Erin Dittus '03 and Co-captain Erica Hewes '02 were called on to patrol the net.
"Erica and I played middle on Saturday, which was weird," said Dittus. "We hadn't done that all year." Dittus and Hewes seemed to be up to the challenge, recording a total of 11 out of 18.5 team blocks on Saturday. Similarly, injuries to several other Firedogs tested the team's resiliency and depth.
"Because of injuries, we only had two subs," said Dittus. "We usually have six, so that was a little tough. But pulling together to win, especially against Springfield, really showed our team's depth, especially since we had such a limited roster."
On Friday night, the squad suited up against the Brandeis Judges (13-10). What was generally expected to be an easy match in preparation for the higher Wellesley hurdle turned into a four-game set, after the Firedogs dropped the second frame of the match. However, the Amherst six pulled through to take the next two games and the match.
The weekend was powered by Hewes' 43 kills. Setter Annie Hoeksma '05 and DeMeules combined for a total of 154 assists and 51 kills on the spread and Irene Lee '03 dug up 54 balls on back row defense.
After a short break, the Firedogs found themselves across the net from the Blue. Amherst took the first two games from Wellesley, but the momentum turned quickly. "Brandeis started rough, and we came back," said Dittus. "We beat Wellesley the first two games, and then we fell apart. It almost seems like our team has some kind of mental block against them."
The last match of the weekend placed the Firedogs against the Bates Bobcats. The 'Dogs finished the weekend in style, taking down Bates in three frames. "In the third Bates game, we dragged out the end at 29 points," said Dittus. "I think it's fortunate we won that game, because if we went to four, I think we would have fallen apart, physically and mentally,"
This weekend, the squad will pit their talents against their Little III rivals when they host the
tournament.