Oct. 1, 2006
Box Score
Washington, D.C. - The Georgetown volleyball team was dealt a heartbreaking 3-2 (22-30, 25-30, 30-24, 30-28, 15-13) loss by BIG EAST Conference foe Syracuse this afternoon at McDonough Arena. This is the sixth-straight loss for the Hoyas as they drop to 5-10 on the season, 0-3 in league play. The Orange improve to 4-16, with a 1-3 mark in the BIG EAST.
Down 12-11 in the first game, Georgetown scored the next six points to take a 17-12 lead behind the serving of freshman Dana Dumas (Nokomis, Fla./Pine View). With the score 19-14 in favor of GU, Syracuse rattled off three straight points of their own to close the gap to 19-17. However, a costly service error by the Orange turned the momentum, and the Hoyas were able to capitalize and take the game 30-22.
GU was trailing 13-11 in the second game before another costly service error by Syracuse opened the door. The Hoyas would take the lead, and extend it to as many as four points (20-16). Syracuse would rally though and take a 21-20 lead before a critical kill by senior Annie Connor (Los Altos, Calif./St. Francis) stopped the run and tied the game. Down 24-23, the Hoyas were able to get a big kill from sophomore Jessica Buffum (San Jose, Calif./Lynbrook) to tie the game, and then another from freshman Kiersten McKoy (Oakland, Calif./Bishop O'Dowd) to take the lead.
In the third game, Georgetown stormed out to an 8-1 lead, and behind five kills from Connor, continued to dominate midway through the game, leading 19-11. Things would change drastically after that point. Syracuse would come all the way back and tie the game at 23 behind the play of Cheryl Cobina, and then score seven of the next eight points, en route to a 30-24 win.
Georgetown responded to the loss of game three by scoring the first four points in the fourth game. Syracuse quickly tied the game at four. With the score tied at 25, back-to-back kills by Emily Kaier gave Syracuse the decisive lead, as they went on to take the fourth game 30-28, and leveling the match at two games apiece
The fifth and final game came down to the final two points. With the score tied at 13, Syracuse was able to get the last two points on a kill and an attack error, thus winning the game, and the match, 3-2.
Connor led the game with 25 kills, a career-high. Buffum and McCoy followed up with 16 with 14 kills, respectively. McCoy maintained a .481 hitting percentage, followed by Connor (.281) and Buffum (.250). Freshman Jessica Hardy (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mira Costa) led the Hoyas in digs (20) followed by junior Katie Nulty (Santa Barbara, Calif./Laguna Blanca) with 12 and Buffum with 11.
"I am extremely pleased with the team's effort today. We modified our system and had an hour and a half to practice it," Head Coach Arlisa Hagan said. "The team tried hard and came out with heart. It is disappointing for all of us that this one got away but there are always bright spots - Kiersten McKoy hit .481, Annie Connor had 25 kills and five blocks and Buffum had 13 kills and nine digs."
Georgetown returns to action on Saturday, October 7 when they travel to Pittsburgh (13-6). The Panthers come off a 3-2 loss at Villanova this afternoon. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m.
