After
defeating Dominican University last Monday in the first round of the
Northern Athletics Conference Tournament, the fourth-seeded Eagles were
downed by No. 1 ranked Lakeland College 3-1 (17-25, 13-25, 25-22,
23-25) in the semi-finals Thursday night in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
The
Eagles wrapped up their season going 17-16 overall, while finishing
fourth place in the NAC regular season standings with a 7-5 record.
Thursday
became the second time this season that Benedictine’s volleyball team
was victimized by Lakeland College. The loss proved to be more costly
than the first, however, putting an end to the Eagles’ season.
After
dropping the first two sets, the Eagles bounced back to take the third
set, only to watch their momentum squander as they were defeated in the
fourth set.
Not only did the youthful Benedictine squad fall
to Lakeland for the second time in as many meetings, but the loss also
snapped a three-match winning streak – something the Eagles had not
been able to accomplish more than once the entire season.
“It was tough, not just because we lost, but because we knew it was our last match together,” said head coach Jen Wildes.
“I
was proud of them. It could have been over in three,” said Wildes. “We
were down 14-19 in game three and managed to win. We had our chances in
game four. We never stopped fighting.”
The Eagles were once again led by sophomore Kayla Leyden, who closed out her second season for the Eagles in strong fashion.
Leyden
poured on 22 kills for the Eagles, good enough for a .267 attack
percentage, although it was not enough to upset the overpowering charge
of the Muskies.
Leyden added to her season total of 478
kills, while also contributing a team-high 22 digs for Benedictine,
concluding the season with a teamhigh total of 477 digs.
“Kayla
is so fundamentally sound that she makes everything look easy,” said
Wildes. “She has a variety of shots she can use and she hits the ball
just as hard, if not harder, than anyone in our conference. She has
also developed into a very smart player.”
Junior setter
Jessica Judge supplied the Eagles with a team-high 23 assists, while
freshman Taylor Hoppe added 19 assists. Hoppe accumulated a total of
495 assists in a stellar rookie season, second behind Judge’s 600
overall assists.
Although Benedictine’s team attack percentage was a meager .193
compared to Lakeland’s .333, the Eagles felt that opportunities were
present and the outcome was unfortunate.
“We did a really nice
job on defense and blocking against them,” said senior libero Amanda
Distasio. “It just didn’t turn out in our favor.” |   PHOTOS BY FADI SHIHADEH
Distasio,
who chalked up 19 digs in her final game as an Eagle, also saw her
brilliant four-year career come to a close. The “defensive specialist”
compiled a total of 453 digs in her fourth and final season.
“Amanda was a great captain for us,” said Wildes. “She had her best season and really emerged as a leader on the court.”
“She
was all over the place all the time,” added Leyden. “She’s had so many
digs and she has everybody’s back. She is a very aggressive player that
we’re going to miss.”
Although the Eagles’ season was cut short
in post-season play, Distasio feels that her teammates helped to create
a memorable senior season.
“It was very drama free,” said
Distasio. “Everyone got along really well and that always helps because
when you don’t get along, it causes tension and that tension really
shows up on the court. Being able to get along with everyone really
helped us out on the court.”
The Eagles may have concluded
their season on a sour note, but there remains an upside to their
recent success. The 2008 campaign marked the fifth consecutive year
that BU volleyball has posted a winning season, dating back to 2003
when Benedictine finished 15-23.
As for next season, Coach
Wildes remains very optimistic, believing that experience will play an
important role in her team’s success. “I think we will respond in a
positive way,” said Wildes. “We will return with a lot of experience
and will look for each player to contribute. “The future looks bright.” |
