Friday's matches exhibited the same qualities that have been the backbone of Amherst volleyball all season: solid net play, relentless defense and a varied attack. At the net ,Amherst tallied 14 blocks over two matches while holding their opponents to six. Defensively, the team dug up over 140 attack attempts, allowing only 87 to hit the floor as kills. As for their varied attack, the match against Brandeis stands out as one of the best examples of junior setter Annie Hoeksma's ability and confidence in setting to any one of her teammates. Eight Firedogs contributed kills in the win, while Hoeksma herself is credited with 50 assists.
Against Clark, Amherst posted solid numbers, defeating the Cougars in three games (30-22, 30-19, 30-18). Behind 13 service aces, the 'Dogs controlled the pace of the game and ultimately the outcome. First-year outside hitter Kristin Quinn tallied 11 kills, three blocks and three aces in the match, while Hoeksma added six kills, three aces and 36 assists.
The second game of the night brought the energy and intensity necessary to overpower the talented Brandeis squad. In front of a supportive crowd, Amherst put together an impressive 3-1 win (30-24, 27-30, 30-23, 30-21). Quinn again led the offense with 17 kills, followed by junior Nikki Davidson with 13, while senior co-captains Jessica Allen and Lauren Wong each added 10. Despite this impressive display of offensive prowess, the critical aspect of the match proved to be defense. Led by sophomore libero Kate Raddock, the Amherst defense proved too much for the Judges, who managed to tally only 59 kills in the four-game match. Raddock provided 31 digs in the win, followed by Allen with 22 and Davidson with 17.
The 'Dogs came out strong in the first game of Saturday's match against Williams but wavered before clinching the game and lost, 26-30. Not disheartened, Amherst returned to the court looking to avenge an early-season loss by playing solidly and aggressively. Unfortunately, midway into the second game, the Ephs were able to string together over 15 points that deflated the 'Dogs and paved the way for an insurmountable lead.
"We got stuck in one rotation at about the tenth point, and they scored 16 points in a row," said Hoeksma. "Things just weren't working together, and after that huge shift in points it was extremely difficult to come back."
Amherst rallied in the third game but couldn't muster enough momentum to take a game from the hard-hitting Williams squad who handed Amherst a 3-0 loss (26-30, 12-30, 24-30).
Tired from the Williams match, the Firedogs were unable to play their usual style of volleyball against a scrappy but powerful MIT squad and lost the match 3-0 (24-30, 26-30, 19-30).
Raddock again led the defense, providing 34 digs on the day, while the offense was paced by Quinn with 15 kills. Davidson had 13, and first-year Megan Ingraham added nine.
The Firedogs now stand 23-5 overall on the season, with only one more weekend to play before the NESCAC championship. Despite the outcome of Saturday's games, the 'Dogs gained valuable experience against two talented teams, experience they will surely use to their advantage in future matches.
This weekend the team takes on Bates, Bowdoin and Colby Colleges in the last home appearance for seniors Wong and Allen. Play begins Friday night at 8 p.m. in LeFrak Gymnasium.