For most students, Friday signifies the beginning of a well-deserved weekend of rest and relaxation. For the ladies of the Amherst volleyball team, however, Friday marked the beginning of league play, and with it, a chance to claim another NESCAC title. Last year, a quick start in league play was a key factor in the team’s success, as the Firedogs won their first five NESCAC matches on their way to a regular-season title and the top spot in the NESCAC Tournament. This year, the Firedogs made the (really) long bus trip up to Maine hoping to repeat that kind of start as they faced off against league counterparts Bates, Colby and Bowdoin Colleges.
“A good start is definitely important in the NESCAC,” said sophomore middle hitter Jackie Berkley. “You can’t lose your first couple of games and expect to win a championship.” Amherst came into the match looking to rebound from a loss against Wellesley, their first in an otherwise very promising early season.
If there were any lingering worries from the Wellesley game, they certainly didn’t affect the Firedogs. Amherst came out of the gate firing on all cylinders, taking the first set from Colby by a decisive score of 25-11. The set was to be indicative of the rest of the match, which Amherst went on to win in straight sets, never letting Colby get closer than 10. Senior setter Sara Heller was at the top of her game against the Mules, putting up great sets at the net on her way to racking up 30 assists for the Firedogs.
“Sara’s been playing really well,” said sophomore Laura Hyman. “She’s absolutely one of the team’s leaders … and she makes everyone around her better.”
Amherst was back at it the next morning in the match against Bates College. Chalk it up to lingering sleep, or perhaps to a case of bus-lag, but Saturday morning brought the Firedogs their first scare of the weekend, when Bates played them closer than expected, sticking with Amherst in a 25-22 set that undoubtedly shortened the nails of Head Coach Sue Everden.
“They just played really well and we didn’t … it was weird,” said junior Bethany Belisle. Fortunately, it was the only challenge for the ladies on Saturday, as the suddenly wide-awake Firedogs returned to their dominating ways, sweeping the Bobcats in the next two games by scores of 25-10 and 25-13. “We communicated a lot better that game,” said Belisle, “and our defense really picked it up too … it was a much better effort.”
Sophomore Kate Jordan, taking over for Heller, picked up exactly where Heller left off and racked up 23 assists in the win. Belisle and sophomore Rachel Yorke were exceptional in the backcourt, with Belisle digging 10 balls for the Firedogs and Yorke digging 11. In doing so, Yorke added to her totals in a season in which she has been absolutely on fire, and in which games of double-digit digs are becoming a regular occurrence.
Amherst’s weekend wasn’t over yet, though—a Saturday night matchup against Bowdoin was all that stood between the team and a perfect 3-0 start to league play. As was the case earlier that day, the first match was close, and the Polar Bears played well in a losing effort, dropping the first set 25-20. Amherst’s talent and depth quickly wore out Bowdoin, however, and the Firedogs went on to win the next two sets convincingly, 25-14 and 25-17. Heller was back at the setter position and back to her usual form, setting 26 assists. Many of those sets ended up at the capable hands of Cristy Meier ’12 and Katherine Kanoff ’12, who had a combined 24 kills. Kanoff had a well-rounded game, showing her versatility in adding twelve digs and four service aces to her stat totals.
After many miles on the road and hours on the court, the Firedogs returned to campus late Saturday as the owners of a 3-0 record in NESCAC play, good enough for the number-one spot in the standings in an admittedly still-early season. Amherst now takes a break from NESCAC action to play six non-conference games before returning to league play against Tufts on Oct. 11.