Tigers move to top of conference

 

By Kayla Wellage, Contributing Writer

Photo by Amanda Bosse/The Towerlight

Towson won its fourth straight conference game after defeating the Hofstra Pride 3-0 on Sunday, Oct. 6. The Tigers now have an eight-game winning streak and they are currently the top team in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

The first set began with a point for the Pride after an attack error by senior outside hitter Annie Ertz. Towson (14-2, 4-0 CAA) kept committing errors throughout the set. Eight of the points that Hofstra (8-7 1-2 CAA) earned in the first set were a result of Tigers errors.

“I try to focus on the next play,” senior outside hitter Olivia Finckel said. “We’ve been working on it as a team. We kind of just flush our mistakes and focus on the next point.”

Towson went on a 5-0 run including two aces by Ertz and two errors from the Pride.

Hofstra got a few kills, but the Tigers responded with the final three points of the set and a final ace by junior defensive specialist Camryn Allen. Towson won the first set 25-15. 

In the second set, the Pride took an early 6-2 lead before the Tigers came back. 

Hofstra started making errors which allowed Towson to break the tie. 

The Pride responded and took back the lead, but the Tigers came back after kills from Ertz and freshman middle blocker Lydia Wiers. Hofstra took a timeout and senior setter Marissa Wonders said it benefited Towson.

“We were playing a little sloppy and the coaches called a timeout. We got some tough love from a few of our teammates,” Wonders says. “We had to pick it up and I think we stepped on the gas pedal and started playing infinitely better.” 

After the timeout, the Tigers scored eight of the final ten points in the set, and won the second set 25-15.

In the third set, Towson took an early 5-2 lead before both teams went back and forth until Hofstra scored six unanswered to take the lead 12-11. The Tigers regained the lead and kept it for the remainder of the set, and despite a late comeback took the final set 25-21. 

Towson defeated the Northeastern Huskies (7-8 1-2 CAA) 3-0 on Friday, Oct. 4. 

The game began with a kill by senior middle blocker Silvia Grassini. The first combined points of the game came from kills.

After the Tigers took a 6-3 lead, Northeastern tied the game at 7-7 after two kills and an error by senior outside hitter Olivia Finckel. 

“We have a lot of versatility and anyone you put on the court can be a threat,” Finckel said. “We have a lot of people that can get the job done.”

Towson responded with three kills and an ace by sophomore outside hitter Emily Jarome. The Tigers scored five unanswered to take a 12-7 lead. Northeastern kept the set close, but Towson scored the final three points to win the set 25-21.

The second set began with errors from both teams. The Tigers earned their first three points by Huskies errors. The Tigers took a 9-2 lead after two aces by Allen and three combined kills from Ertz and Wiers. 

After a few points going back and forth, Towson went on a 10-4 run to end the set. The Tigers won the third set 25-12 despite four errors and allowing seven kills. 

The third set was more competitive than the previous; however, Northeastern’s best runs were only two consecutive points multiple times. 

Towson led by as much as seven points midway through the set, with a 14-7 lead the Tigers scored four unanswered to increase their lead to double digits after three consecutive errors from the Huskies. 

Northeastern scored three of the last five points, but the Tigers won the set 25-15.

“We focus a lot on our culture and our team dynamic,” head coach Don Metil said.

This was Towson’s first win vs the Huskies at SECU Arena since 2015.

“Everyone gets along really well,” Wonders said. “None of us want to see anyone fail.”

The team is facing Elon University on Sunday, Oct. 13. This game features two of the top three teams in the CAA, and Metil is aware of the challenge ahead.

“We take each week at a time,” Metil said. “We’ll see what we need to apply to get a victory.”

The Tigers will travel to Williamsburg, Virginia to play against William and Mary at the Kaplan Arena on Friday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. followed by Elon on Sunday, Oct. 13 at the Schar Center in  Elon, North Carolina at 2 p.m.

 

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