Over the weekend, Rhode Island women’s volleyball split a two-match series against Atlantic 10 Conference opponent Duquesne University.
Going into the weekend, the Rams were winless at home and in conference play, but they found their first of each with a 3-2 win on Friday.
On Friday, the Rams started hot, winning their first two sets 25-22 and 26-24.
Despite being down 2-0, the Dukes showed resilience. They won the next two sets, tying the match at two sets each, leaving a winner-take-all fifth set.
“We’ve been in so many close matches to then not come out on top,” said Rhode Island volleyball head coach Ryan Sullivan. “It’s like finally breaking the seal; we’ve been talking about peaking at the right time.”
The Rams went on to win set five, 15-8. This marked their first win in nearly a month.
“We needed this; this was the right moment,” said first-year Grace Keaney. “We played so well as a team. We fought until the end.”
The Dukes were the most efficient team in the Atlantic 10 heading into the weekend, hitting .248 as a team. However, with combined efforts across the front and Keaney’s career-high 12 blocks, the Rams came out on top.
“For our young ones to experience getting close then not winning,” said Sullivan. “Then, getting over the hump, they’re getting a taste of how [winning] is going to feel.”
On Saturday, Rhode Island would mirror what Duquesne did in Friday’s match, losing the first two sets 25-6 and 25-20. The Rams fought back, winning the next two sets and forcing a fifth set for the second match in a row. In a tight final set, the Rams fell 15-11.
Despite Saturday’s loss, the Rams are hopeful to make the Atlantic 10 Championship and look to wrap up regular season play on a high note.
“We can win at any moment; all of these teams are so competitive with each other,” said Keaney. “Our goal is to just take it one game at a time.”
The weekend series served as a step in the right direction for Rhode Island, following a difficult stretch of nine straight losses for the program.
“I haven’t seen my team this confident all season,” said Sullivan.
The win on Friday, alongside the close five-set match on Saturday, has given the Rams hope as they look to finish strong in their remaining nine games of the regular season.
“The future is bright; we talk about trusting the process so much,” said Sullivan.
The third-year head coach will look to his young players like Keaney and first-year Cara Richter. The two combined for 40 kills, and Richter had 32 digs alone between the two matches.
“We know that we’re not getting blown out; we’re in every match that we play,” said Sullivan.
The Rams will look to build upon this newfound confidence on Friday as they begin a weekend series on the road at Davidson College.
