Nov. 14, 2008
Final Stats
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Junior Jessica Hardy (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mira Costa) recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs, as the Georgetown University volleyball team (13-13, 6-7 BIG EAST) continued its dominant play at McDonough Arena, defeating Villanova (14-15, 5-8 BIG EAST) in three sets, 25-13, 25-19, 25-20 on Friday evening. The Hoyas improve to 8-2 at home this season, having won 25 out of 31 sets played.
Sophomore Vanessa Dorismond (Cary, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons) followed a pre-game performance of the National Anthem by hitting .500 with nine kills. Freshman Sara Manley (Dove Canyon, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic) also had nine kills, while senior Caitlin Boland (Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy) set the tables with 31 assists, as members of the 1998 BIG EAST regular season champion Georgetown volleyball team looked on.
In the first set, the Wildcats opened an early three-point lead, but the Georgetown tied the match at six behind a block and a kill from Dorismond. GU took their first lead of the match at 9-8 behind a Villanova attack error. Manley and Niesen had back-to-back kills to extend the lead to three, forcing a VU timeout. The Hoyas kept rolling after the timeout, using an 8-1 run to extend the lead to 17-9, as the Hoyas never looked back, winning the set 25-13.
Villanova started the second set quickly as well, taking a three-point lead before the Hoyas tied the score at seven and vaulted into the lead. Manley and Dorismond had two kills to put GU in front 10-7. After a GU ballhandling error, Dorismond, Niesen and Cohen had three consecutive kills to put GU up by four, 13-9 leading to a Wildcat timeout. Niesen followed the timeout with a kill. The Hoyas would continue to roll, leading by as many as ten points, before a Wildcats rally closed them to within six. Three Villanova errors down the stretch helped seal a 25-19 second set victory for the Hoyas.
In the third set the Wildcats rallied from down by as many as seven points to close the gap to one, 22-21. But an untimely Villanova service error, and two Manley kills clinched the set and the match for the blue and gray. Hardy and Dorismond each had four kills in the final set, while Boland had 12 assists to spark the victory.
The victory snaps a four-match losing streak and keeps the Hoyas hopes at earning a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament alive. It was Georgetown's first victory over Villanova since October 2004.
Georgetown concludes its season on Sunday, November 16 at 2 p.m. against Seton Hall. Sunday is senior day, as the Georgetown Athletic Department recognizes seniors Caitlin Boland and Kit Niesen, both four-year starters, for their time and commitment to the program.
