The team took down LIU and Marist before losing in the final match of the annual tournament
The University of Rhode Island’s women’s volleyball team rallied as host of the 14th annual Art Carmichael Invitational this weekend, finishing with wins over Marist College and Long Island University before falling to Boston College.
The invitational pays homage to Art Carmichael, the first coach in program history from 1974-1980. In his tenure with the Rams, he totaled 162 victories, including 39 wins in 1977 and a 24-match winning streak in 1976. Both of these remain school records today.
Head Coach Angel Agu revealed that it has been the team’s hard work and determination in practice that propelled the Rams to the 2-1 tournament finish.
“We talk about having a training mindset, focusing on the mechanics, analytics, you know.” Agu said. “When it comes to games, we talk about having a trusting mindset, trust in all that we’ve done, trust in ourselves and our team. Just go out there and ball.”
The Rams did just that, opening the invitational off with a five-set thriller against Marist College. The second set was the most contested, with three lead changes and 11 ties before the Rams secured the match point at 26-24.
Three Rhode Island players finished the night with a season-best record in offense. Senior outside hitter Claire Wagner led the Rams with 26 kills, while junior outside Brynne Wright and Grad Student Gabrielle Shilling followed with 15 and 11 kills, respectively.
Sophomore setter Katie Butler concluded the night with a season-high of 50 assists and four blocks. She was also named to the Art Carmichael all tournament team alongside Shilling.
“Marist was our best game by far. We proved we have a competitive side and I would say we played as a team extremely well.” Butler said. “Our passing was very good, and I didn’t have to move all over the place to set up offensive plays.”
Following the record-shattering victory Friday, the Rams opened Saturday morning with a bang, earning the 3-0 sweep over Long Island University. Shilling led the Rams offense with 11 kills, followed by Wagner and Wright matching for nine kills.
In the final matchup of the invitational, the Rams fell short against an undefeated Boston College, 3-0. Rhode Island combined for a total of 21 kills and 11 blocks on the night, matching the season-best set against Marist. Grad Student Mariah Paulette led the Rams offense with five kills and five blocks while Shilling matched with five blocks and three kills.
Despite the loss, Coach Agu noted that it was in the Boston College match where her players were at their best.
“I know the score didn’t show it, but we got better and better as the weekend progressed,” Coach Agu said. “Seeing everyone’s grit and fire as they believed in themselves. That is one of the biggest things I preach to them, and to do it against a great team like BC. It was great.”
Following the invitational, the Rams will be back in action Tuesday where they will host in-state rivals Bryant University.