Catholic University of America

WASHINGTON, D.C. - It was another lively day at Franny Murray Court as the Catholic volleyball squad hosted Susquehanna and Randolph-Macon for a Saturday Tri-Match. In the Landmark meeting against the River Hawks, the Cardinals took the game to five sets, winning 3-2, before falling to the Yellow Jackets 3-0.

Prior to the start of match two, the volleyball program honored two seniors who have dedicated their time to Catholic both on and off the court: Vivian O'Brien and Kate Berra.

Match One: Catholic 3, Susquehanna 2

Susquehanna set the tone with a four-score run to open the match. Catholic slowly clawed back, coming within one point of the River Hawks later in the set. Despite their attempts at taking a lead, Susquehanna found a great groove late in the match, scoring seven-straight points to take a 10-point lead. They took the last two points with kills from Camille Ince and Addison Dodge, winning 25-15.

Catholic answered with a strong set two, growing its lead by as many as six points over Susquehanna. The Cardinals stayed steady, building their lead with 16 total kills to rattle the River Hawks. Susquehanna came close, but Catholic secured the 25-21 win with a kill from Juliette Cummings, evening the score at one set apiece.

The momentum shifted back in favor of the River Hawks in set three. They had 14 kills in the third, holding Catholic to just eight. They went up 12-6 with a six-point run over the Cardinals, capitalizing on errors and logging two kills. Susquehanna continued to keep Catholic at bay, maintaining a five-point lead to secure the second set 25-20.

The pendulum swung back in favor of the Cardinals as they forced a fifth set. Catholic had 13 kills in the fourth, holding the River Hawks to just five kills. They capitalized on eight Susquehanna errors and went on two four-point runs late in the set to secure the 25-18 win.

It was back-and-forth from the first point in the final set. Catholic was the first on the board as they capitalized on an attack error, but Susquehanna immediately responded. It was neck-and-neck until Catholic took the lead and held onto it. They added points to their tally, going up by as many as four points over the River Hawks. Susquehanna fought, putting up three-straight as they attempted to take the win, but Catholic secured the win 15-13 to win the match.

Catholic improves its record over Susquehanna to 8-22. This was the Cardinals first home win over the River Hawks since 2007. 

Match Two: Catholic 0, Randolph-Macon 3

After winning match one, Catholic brought a lot of heat to the second match of the day. The duel began with the first point. The Cardinals scored, and were quickly answered with a kill from Randolph-Macon's Allison Lach. The Yellow Jackets took a lead, but the Cardinals were not out of it, evening the score at 11. As each team built, the opposing team responded. It wasn't until late in the set that Randolph-Macon went on a five-point run, winning set one 25-20.

The Yellow Jackets had a strong set two, logging 14 kills, while holding Catholic to just four. Catholic looked to relight the fire, but Randolph Macon had a substantial lead, taking set two 25-12.

Catholic regrouped, and continued the fight in set three. The Yellow Jackets began the scoring in the third, but the Cardinals quickly took the lead, showcasing their determination. Catholic continued to grow its lead, going up 13-8 over Randolph-Macon. The Yellow Jackets tied it up at 16, before taking back the lead. The Cardinals stayed close by, but it wasn't enough to force a fourth set, and they fell 25-22.

Inside the Box Score

• Anna Maria Carella broke the 200 assist threshold early in the first match, and totaled 31 assists on Saturday while also logging three service aces. She leads the team with 128 assists this season.
• Kate Berra also had a stellar day as a playmaker, notching 18 assists. She also had three service aces on the day.
• Laci Freitas had 19 kills across both matches. Freitas led the team against the River Hawks with 14 kills, and later picked up six against the Yellow Jackets.
• Kate Kozlowski had a standout day at the net. She totaled five solo blocks and also recorded a block assist. She leads the lead with 17 solo blocks, and is tied with Maddie Wilkey with 23 block assists.
• Alejandra Garcia led both games with 30 total digs across the two matches. She leads the squad this season with 144 total digs.

This Saturday split brings Catholic volleyball to 5-11 this season, and 1-1 in Landmark play. Up next, they will host a Pope's Cup match against Marymount on Wednesday, October 7 at 7 p.m.