Photo contributed by: gorhody.com
The University of Rhode Island Women’s Volleyball team finished up a competitive non-conference schedule this past weekend, splitting their two games at the NIU invitational before falling to the defending NCAA National Champion Wisconsin Badgers.
The Rams began their weekend in DeKalb, Illinois at the NIU Invitational. The first of their two matches on Friday came against the then 0-9 University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles.
URI started the first set with a 5-0 lead, not allowing USI to take the lead for the remainder of the set. 3 kills in 4 points by senior Gabrielle Schilling allowed URI to pull away and inevitably go up 1-0 on USI.
In the second set, Rhody pulled out to a 7-3 lead. However a 9-0 surge from USI, led by 4 kills from Abby Weber, put USI up 12-7. Despite USI attacking errors, and 2 late kills from URI freshman Karlee Pinnell, USI pulled away to win the set 25-17, tying the match at 1-1.
Rhode Island opened up the third set in dominance, jumping out to an 8-0 lead. USI’s attempt at a comeback was stuffed later in the set by a subsequent URI 9-3 run, featuring three kills from Emma Vente, who also had 3 blocks in the process. URI responded from a 3-0 USI run in the dying moments with a kill from Mariah Paulette, securing the set win and a 2-1 match lead by the score of 25-16.
Despite being down, Southern Indiana was not done fighting. In the fourth set, the score was 13-12 with a USI advantage. However Southern Indiana pulled away from Rhody for good measure, capturing the next ten of eleven points, collecting three service aces. USI tied the match 2-2, with a set win of 25-15.
While Southern Indiana was looking to capture their first win of the season, URI had other plans. Rhody won a back-and-forth battle in the fifth set by a score of 15-11, Pinnell putting the final nail in the coffin with her 14th kill of the day.
“That was a good win for us,” said URI Head Coach Angel Agu. “Something that we’ve been stressing is if we are down, finding ways to claw back up and regroup again. The fact that we were able to do that and reel it all in and come out with a win was really important”.
Later that day, Rhode Island took on the host school in the University of Northern Illinois Huskies. The Huskies (5-3) looked to improve their record against a Rhode Island team that has proved this year to be inconsistent.
Five lead changes occurred throughout the first set and a number of runs kept the set tight, with no advantage going above five points. However it was URI taking control of the back and forth battle to secure the first set win 25-23.
The second set was an even more polarizing battle, compiling 6 lead changes and 12 ties before it was all said and done. Schilling tied the set late at 18-18 for URI, however UNI possessed a slight advantage late to capture the set 25-21, tying the match at 1-1.
Sets three and four were not as close. URI dropped both by scores of 25-11 and 25-20. In the span of those two sets, Rhody did not possess a single lead.
It was not all negative for URI in the loss. Brynne Wright recorded her second double-double of the day, tallying 10 kills and 19 digs.
Rhode Island’s toughest matchup came on Sunday however, traveling to the home of defending National Champion Wisconsin. URI lost 3-0 against the fourth nationally ranked Badgers, but the game served as a huge learning experience for the Rams.
The attendance inside Wisconsin Field House was 7,204, the largest attendance URI has ever competed in front of.
“What was really cool for me to see was our ability to hang with a team that was packed with All-Americans and defending national champions”, said Agu when asked about her team’s performance and resilience.
Agu also said that the loss provided URI with important experience.
“Although we didn’t get the result, I do believe that it was able to give our players a lot of confidence”, she added.
URI begins Atlantic-10 conference play this weekend when they host the 8-4 St. Louis Billikens on Friday and Saturday.