Sept. 10, 2013
WASHINGTON - Having been on the road since the start of the 2013 season, the Georgetown women's volleyball (3-4, 0-0 BIG EAST) team is set to return to the comforts of home as the Hoyas are set to host the George Washington Colonials (3-3, 0-0 A10) on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in McDonough Arena.
The Hoyas are returning from the Campbell Tournament in Buies, N.C., where GU came out 1-2 on the weekend, picking up a sweep and dropping a pair of heartbreaking five-set matches. Despite double-doubles from Lauren Saar and Alex Johnson, the Blue & Gray fell to Indiana St. in the opening match, 3-2,but a sweep of NC Central salvaged the day for GU. Against the Eagles, freshman Ashlie Williams (.429), redshirt senior Annallee Abell (.333) and junior Dani White (.261) led the charge for the Hoyas in their third win of the year.
In the tournament finale, Georgetown took a quick 2-0 lead, but the Camels fought back and claimed the final three sets and with them, the match. The two squads tied 25 times, with the lead changing nine times throughout the five sets. Again, Saar and White were stout on the offensive end - Saar totaled 15 kills and White hit .414 with 14 kills - but both contributed mightily on defense as well, combining for 39 digs and six blocks in the loss.
On the season, the trio of Saar (81 kills), Johnson (78 kills) and White (75 kills) led the way for the Hoyas on the attack. Freshman Caitlin Brauneis has taken the reigns of the go-to setter, lofting 277 assists over her first seven matches. Defensively, White, Brauneis and Williams have been blocking machines, combining for 60 between the three of them, while junior libero MacKenzie Simpson has been solid defensively as well, picking up a team-best 123 digs.
George Washington comes into the weekday evening match with a 3-3 record, having alternated wins and losses all season. Though the Colonials are just 1-2 in three-set matches, they've gone the distance twice and come out victorious both times.
GW is led on the court by Kelsey Newman (70 kills) and Rachael Goss (53 kills), while Chidima Osuchukwu is hitting a team-best .346 with 36 kills. Maddy Doyle has scooped 106 digs this season, and for their part, Newman and Goss have both totaled 52 and 51 digs, respectively. Osuchukwu has put together a solid season with 23 total blocks for the Colonials.
Georgetown is 28-35 all-time against its crosstown rival, with the Colonials taking the previous three contests.
