Bison scuffle with Gophers in five-set win

TOWSON, Md. – Down 2-1 sets the Gallaudet University women’s volleyball team regrouped and rallied to defeat Goucher College, 3-2, here Wednesday night in the Decker Sports & Recreation Center.

Gallaudet (7-10) took the first set 26-24 before it dropped the second and third sets, 20-25 and 21-25, respectively. The two setbacks placed the Bison in a 2-1 hole heading into the fourth set. GU scored the first three points of the fourth set and built a 12-7 lead and later led 21-16 before the Bison tied the match at 2-2 with the 25-17 set win. The fourth set win pushed the match to a fifth and final set.

GU jumped out to a 5-1 lead before Goucher (4-8) cut the margin down to two points, 8-6. The Bison then went on a 7-2 run to close out the 15-8 set win. Sophomore Sunita Schmidjorg (Austin, Texas) served up two aces down the home stretch to help GU secure its fourth five-set win this season.

Senior opposite Elina Rubinshteyn (Austin, Texas) led all hitters with 19 kills (.241) while fellow senior outside hitter Karita Lewis (Frederick, Md.) added 17 kills (.317) and 17 digs for her ninth double-double this season (sixth straight). Lewis surpassed 1,000 career digs with her performance on Wednesday night. Sophomore setter Emma Giuntoli (Austin, Texas) passed out 49 assists and made 10 digs while junior libero Mia Upchurch (Austin, Texas) made a match-high 27 digs.

Goucher was led by Rachel Chapman’s 18 kills and Nicole Kovach’s 37 assists and 26 digs.

BISON TRACKS

• Sophomore Leila Sicoli (Austin, Texas) was second on the team with 20 digs and four aces
• Freshman Jayne Taylor (Austin, Texas) made three block solos
• Freshman middle hitter Anya Pothorski (Indianapolis, Ind.) made two block solos and one block assist
• Gallaudet had 11 service aces, four players had two or more aces

UP NEXT
Gallaudet will travel to Chestertown, Md., on Saturday, Oct. 2, to participate in the Washington College Tri-Meet with the Shoremen and Ursinus College. The Bison will face Ursinus at 2 p.m. followed by a match against Washington College.