The women's volleyball team notched win 22 on Thursday night at the Athletic Center with their quick sweep of the Salem State Vikings, tying the program record for most wins in a regular season.
The Lasers came out of the gates looking strong, with a balanced attack of offense that was jumping out of the gym, and a defense that appeared everywhere. The Lasers opened the set on a quick 7-1 run, which caused an immediate timeout from Salem's head coach to stop the bleeding. Coming out of the timeout, the Lasers picked up right where they left off, going on another 7-1 run, shutting down any hope for a Vikings comeback. The Lasers' defense would continue to shine for the duration of the set, as they only allowed two Salem kills in a dominant 25-6 first-set win.
The second set began with a kill from first-year middle blocker Victoria Pariseault, whose name would become a constant throughout the stat sheet in the second set. With the Vikings continuing to battle down 15-11 entering the midway point of the set, Pariseault would drive two straight set-defining kills into Salem territory. The Vikings tried to make a final push late in the set, which was met with a perfect ace by junior setter Emily Cerasani, putting the second set just out of reach for the visiting underdogs. The set ended as it began, with a kill from Pariseault, capping off a 25-18 win.
With a sweep in sight for the Lasers, they did not take their foot off the gas, taking advantage of the constant momentum in their home atmosphere. The Lasers got out to a quick 15-4 lead and would not look back, ultimately winning the set 25-11, and completing their eleventh sweep at the Athletic Center this season.
Medini earns a kill against the Vikings.
Photo Credit: Joe Giacco
Despite the impressive win, the Lasers have greater things in their sights than the program's win record, as the playoffs loom in the distance. With the Lasers being a top-four seed, they will play host to at least one playoff game.
When asked about the Lasers' mindset heading into the tournament, first-year middle blocker Kyra Paris explained how they are sticking with what got them to this point.
“The mindset will stay somewhat the same, to just come in and take care of business”, Paris said. “There’s a little bit more pressure in the air, but we’re all super excited to have our first [playoff] match here at home.”
The Lasers wrap up their regular season play on Saturday, as they travel to Dean College for a tri-match featuring an 11 a.m. game against the Bulldogs, followed by a 1 p.m. game against the Norwich Cadets.