Dolphins gain confidence with three in a row

During the earliest part of their season, it was impossible to tell if 2012 was going to be a year filled with wins or losses for the College of Mount Saint Vincent women’s volleyball team. 

The Dolphins won their first game, lost their second, won their third and then lost their fourth and fifth, giving them a 2-3 record heading into their first two-game home stand of the season. 

The good news for Dolphins’ fans is that they not only won both of the games at the Mount, but also immediately went on the road and won again. 

All of a sudden, the young team has won three in a row, has a 5-3 record and is gaining confidence. 

“We have a new group of girls who are still getting used to each other,” said head coach Meghan Flaherty, after her team’s 3-0 victory over the College of Staten Island on Sept. 13 (All matches are best two games out of three).

Mount Saint Vincent’s roster this season comprises nine freshman and only four seniors, said Flaherty. 

Against CSI, the Dolphins often looked like a seasoned team, building up a large lead, or winning several points in a row. However, the leads sometimes dwindled, not because the taller Staten Island team was dominating, but because of what appeared to be confusion or defensive lapses among the Dolphins. 

“Defense is all about discipline and it takes some time to master that,” said Mount’s assistant coach Tashi Campbell-Tulloch. “I think our defense has actually kept us in some games this season.”

In addition to the win over Staten Island, the Mount’s winning streak included a 3-0 win over Yeshiva on Sept. 11 and a 3-1 win at Mitchell College on Saturday. The Mount women have won nine of their last 10 games, by a cumulative score of 245-178. The team has also led its opponents in kills, 247-223 and in digs, 505-475. 

“I think we did really well,” said freshman Ashleigh Scozzari after the Staten Island game. “We are really warming up to one another.”

In terms of individual statistics, Scozzari is the team leader in kills with 72, followed by Morganne Booker with 50, Kristine DeMasi with 44 and Allison Regan with 33.

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