The Rams were finally struck down after a hot streak of four consecutive wins. Photo by Erik Schelkun/Atlantic 10.
Rhode Island Volleyball’s four-game winning streak came to an end last Friday when they fell 3-0 to Virginia Commonwealth University in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Volleyball Championship.
Rhody struggled all afternoon with errors and stopping any run that VCU made in the match. Despite the disappointing loss, Rhode Island Volleyball Head Coach Nicki Holmes was extremely happy for his team for getting to that point.
“I was really proud of the team for showing up and being in that moment,” Holmes said. “Those are the moments that you want to practice for. The championship moments where you can actually see the trophy in the corner, and I think it was a good place to be where we can prepare for the future and the legacy of this team. This is the place that Rhode Island should always be––to be in the best position they can be to compete for championships.”
The two teams went back and forth early in the first set, exchanging the first eight points of the set. The number two seed VCU established control of the set with a 6-0 run to take a 10-4 lead. The deficit ballooned to 17-7, before Rhode Island cut it down to 21-17 late in the set. This late run wouldn’t mean much though. VCU countered with four straight points to take the first set 25-17.
In the second set, VCU opened up with a 5-2 lead, but Rhody managed to cut the deficit and tie the score at eight. They eventually took a 12-10 lead following a kill from junior Gabrielle Shilling, but the momentum would shift back in VCU’s favor. The Rams of VCU rallied off 15 of the next 18 points to win the second set 25-15.
Keeping their foot on the gas, the regular season runner-ups won the first six points of the third set. Rhody were able to establish an offensive rhythm later in the set and cut the deficit to 18-14, but the early VCU run proved to be too much to overcome. VCU would go on to win the final set 25-19 and sweep Rhode Island to advance to their fourth consecutive A-10 title game.
Shilling put together her best game of the season, leading the Rams’ attack with nine kills and a hit percentage of .667. The performance also earned her a spot on the All-Championship team.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Shilling said about the All-Championship honor. “When you lose a game like that, it’s heartbreaking. It’s the last time you are with seniors and maybe the last time that you see them because life takes you other places. At that moment, you’re just thinking about that loss and that heartbreak and how to get back at it in the offseason, but when Nicki called me and said you made the All-Championship team, I was in shock.”
On the other side of the net, Jasmine Knight and Qairo Bentley led VCU with 11 kills. Knight also put together a stellar performance around the net, recording seven of the team’s nine blocks. VCU ended up losing to Dayton in the title game on Saturday, with the Flyers advancing to the 2021 NCAA Volleyball Championship.
The loss officially concludes year one of the Nicki Holmes era. He was able to lead the team to their first A-10 Volleyball Championship since 2017 while also navigating the challenges that came with the COVID-19 pandemic. He thanked his senior class for embracing his message and wishes of what he wants to accomplish with this program.
“I don’t think we can talk about our future legacy without talking about the four seniors [Claire Chaplinsky, Annie Ell, Natale Zanellato and Megan Byra] that led the charge,” Holmes said. “I can’t be more honored that I was a part of their journey throughout this and watching them lead and grow our team. What we do and who we are and our identity is really locked in because of those four.”
With Holmes’ philosophy and the majority of the team’s roster expected to return, Rhode Island is poised to be back at the A-10 Volleyball Championship next year and for years to come.