The University of Rhode Island volleyball team took on the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams in two Ram on Ram matchups during URI’s homecoming weekend.
The visitors came into the sitting in second place within the Atlantic 10 while Rhody was 0-7 within the conference.
The match started with a highly competitive set, as both teams were efficient on offense. Rhody had 14 kills to only two errors while the visitors had 20 kills to just three errors of their own. The visitors pulled away in the middle of the set, as they jumped out to a 16-12 lead during a 4-1 scoring run. URI attempted to make up the ground late as a kill from fifth-year Gabrielle Shilling cut the VCU lead to 21-19. The visitors held on to win the set 25-20 after going on another 4-1 scoring run late.
In the second set of the day, the home Rams came out strong, jumping out to a 13-9 lead against the second-placed team. VCU would not back down though, as they continued to keep the score close until eventually making the set 18-18. The teams then went punch-for-punch until the score was 23 apiece. VCU then got two block assists from fourth-year Jasmine Night and fifth-year MacKenzie Chambers to give them the win and take set two. The win gave the visiting Rams a 2-0 set lead, and one more win would give them the match.
The third set was not nearly as tightly contested as the first two, with the visitors going on a 6-1 scoring run to begin the set. As the set went on, VCU did not take their foot off the gas, using a 12-1 scoring run in the middle of the set to take a commanding 21-8 lead. The visitors used the momentum to cruise to a 25-17 set win, completing the three-set sweep of Rhode Island.
The teams met again at Keaney Gymnasium on Sunday, with URI looking to do something different after falling in all three straight sets the day prior. The first set started similarly to the third set on Saturday, with VCU jumping out to a 5-1 lead early. Rhody fought back, eventually knotting the set at 11 and again at 15. The tie wouldn’t last long as the visitors went on a five-point run that gave them the momentum to win the set by a score of 25-18.
The second set saw seven ties and five lead changes within the first 20 points combined. Eventually, VCU did what they had done to beat URI all weekend long, finding themselves on a 9-2 scoring run after the teams were tied at 10-10. The now seven-point lead of 19-12 gave the visitors enough momentum to take the set, by a score of 25-16 – the worst loss of the series yet.
The visiting Rams entered the third set of Sunday looking to make it two straight sweeps of Rhody, and the team came within one point of doing it. VCU held a 24-22 lead as well as a 24-23 lead before the visitors made two errors to put URI at set point. The Ocean State team took advantage of the opportunity, with first-year Madi Disu earning the final kill to win the set for URI. The set win was the team’s first of the weekend and cut VCU’s lead to 2-1.
The fourth set was an uncharacteristic one for VCU, as the team committed six attack errors, leading to 11 Rhode Island kills and a 0.362 hit percentage, which was high compared to the team’s average 0.162% during the match. URI’s second-year outside hitter Aerin Bowman and fourth-year middle blocker Samantha Blahut sparked the Rams, combining for six kills in the 25-16 victory. The set win tied the teams at two sets apiece, and gave the home Rams a chance to win their first match since Sept. 16.
Bowman, in her second year with the team, learned what the team did wrong and how they attempted to come back during the match.
“I thought we had a little bit of a slow start,” she said. “I thought the way everyone just came back and started fighting had a lot more energy.”
Falling behind in a fifth set early can put a team away and Rhode Island felt this on Sunday. URI came into the set with all the momentum, looking to upset the visitors. VCU would not let this happen as they quickly jumped all over the Rams and took a 9-4 lead. The home team fought back, cutting the deficit to just three, trailing 10-7. VCU did not let Rhody come any closer as they closed out the set and defeated the Rams 15-11, earning their eighth conference win of the year. Rhode Island fell to 3-18, still winless within the conference after eight matches.
URI Head Coach Angel Agu has been building the program since her first year in 2021 and acknowledged what the team accomplished even with the loss.
“This was a huge stepping stone for this team,” she said. “We’ve been in multiple situations as this and for us to come back and fight in that third set was huge.”
URI faces another A-10 rival in Duquesne this Friday and Saturday in Pittsburgh at 6 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Both games are available for streaming on ESPN+.